Holiday Ball
by ilovemoony73
Summary: A holiday ball at Hogwarts for Lily and the Maruaders in the seventh year and Tonks in her fourth year can involve events with harder consequences than the friends could imagine.
1. Proposition

Disclaimer: If I was (the amazing) JKR and owned Harry Potter, why would I be putting a story fanfiction? It would be more like writerfact then.

Author's Note: This is the first story I'm posting. It is part of a series I'm working on which is going to follow Tonks' time at Hogwarts and might extend past that. This is set during her fourth year, and I've messed with the time line, making her mum and aunts much older than their cousins. The Marauders are only 3-4 years older than Tonks here. Also, reviews are excellent. Enjoy:]

"Professor Dumbledore?" asked a sweet, feminine voice from behind the Headmaster's Office door. "Enter," said the elderly man, not entirely sure who was coming to speak with him, but was sure it was a student.

Lily Evans, it turned out to be. The door had swung open and she admitted herself into the room seeming quite confident in her actions. Putting her deep red hair to one side to keep it out of her face, the pale girl walked to the front of the Headmaster's desk where a chair stood as if waiting for her to seat herself. Lily, however, stood straight-backed with her hands folded behind her. "I assume you are not here for a social visit, Miss Evans?"

"No, sir, I have an idea I would like to share with you," she responded calmly. "I have been speaking with other students, from my house, year and others, and many of us seem to think a social event over the winter holiday for the students who stay at Hogwarts would be a pleasant idea." The wise old wizard nodded his head in what could have been either agreement or approval, and the seventeen-year-old pushed on. "The idea the other students and I have thought of is a ball, and I think that the Head Boy and I could organize this will some professors who volunteer." She stopped here, knowing that saying more details to this event would seem too desperate. If there was anything Lily had learned from being the subject of muggle-born prejudices, it was when to stop talking and giving information and when small details were acceptable.

"What were your ideas for this, ball, did you say? Would it be a Holiday Ball?" Dumbledore asked, truly intrigued by this possibility.

Lily racked her brain for all of her prepared information before responding several seconds later. "Well, Professor, a Holiday Ball certainly seems acceptable, because since term ends on the Friday before Christmas, which is on a Monday this year, I thought maybe it would be that Saturday." She stopped for a second; curious as to if Dumbledore would speak.

"I quite agree with your timing. What else are you certain of with your plan?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Lily imploringly, his sky blue eyes probing her mind. Now confident that she wouldn't be asked to leave because her proposition was ludicrous, Lily sat in the chair in front of his desk.

"The prefects from Gryffindor, as well as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and the Head Boy agree with me on the point that this event should be formal, as in dress robes for the male students and staff who attend." The Headmaster gave Lily a look that asked on its own what the women and girls would be wearing. "I was thinking, with the other girls, that maybe females in attendance could wear dresses and gowns." She paused to look at Dumbledore and continued with her information. "I've been speaking with students who have parents and grandparents who attended Hogwarts during the time of the last Triwizard Tournament, and they've told me what they've heard about the Yule Ball. We've thought that the time of eight o'clock to midnight was suitable. Aside from those few facts, nothing is definite about the ball. What are your thoughts, Professor?" Lily finished, looking at Albus Dumbledore with a stare that wouldn't have allowed him to decline if he wanted to.

"I think it is a lovely idea, Miss Evans. I will speak about it to the Heads of Houses within the week. You may go now; it is too much of a nice day for October to be spent indoors." He smiled, his eyes slightly twinkling as Lily left the office, closing the door behind her firmly and descending the spiral stairs. Instead of going outside, however, she headed toward the library where her boyfriend and his friends, including a fourth year Hufflepuff, were waiting for her.


	2. Letters Home

Disclaimer: I'm not a famous millionaire author. I just love Ms. Rowling's characters, and take pleasure in toying with their lives.

Author's note: This is in Tonks' perspective. The beginning is just after Lily talks to Dumbledore, then it jumps ahead a while. Enjoy :)

"I knew you'd be able to do it!" James told Lily as he hugged her, though we all gave her a thoroughly disbelieving look. "Tell us what he said about it." He sat back down with her directly in a chair that had been pulled very close to his at our table in the most deserted section of the library.

"He pretty much said he liked the idea and that he'd talk to Professors McGonagall, Slughorn, Sprout and Flitwick. They won't argue. It really was a brilliant strategy for me to present the plan." Lily looked happy with herself, but more so with the prospect of our little idea to turn out as a big event.

"Well, if it were any of us he'd think it was a ploy to create some more chaos. Which I think would be excellent, by the way. We'll need to make detailed instructions for chaos. Holidays are great for big BANGS, both literal and metaphoric." Sirius smiled and nodded in agreement with himself. I shook my head at.

"How are we related?" I asked, to a quiet response of "Distantly, I'm your mother's cousin, of course." I wondered for only a second what had gotten into him. "Lay off the Cheering Charm for a while, Padfoot. Happy doesn't work for Blacks." I laughed at the look he gave me, considering I was also partially a Black and almost always happy.

"Anyway," Peter said in the voice he used when shifting the subject of conversation slightly, "I think I'm going to ask that Ravenclaw who sits in the back of Transfiguration to go with me once the news gets around, and it's definite. I think I saw her looking at me during Monday's class."

"That's because you transfigured your porcupine to a caterpillar and it sat on your face like a mustache, remember?" Remus told him hesitantly, and upon seeing Wormtail's face drop added, "But you're right, I've seen her look at you a hundred other times." Moony was always trying to make everyone happy; he was such a people-pleaser. I laughed inwardly at the thought of a caterpillar sitting on Wormtail's lip and gave him a reassuring smile when he looked at me. He was a very nervous person.

"I know who I'm going to ask, but I don't think she'll accept my invitation," Prongs was saying dramatically. "She's a real catch, a beauty. I don't think she knows I exist." With a small giggle, Lily grabbed James' face and pulled him into a kiss that proved that he was talking about her and she did, indeed, know he existed.

"I wonder what my mum will send me. She must have a thousand outfits stored in our attic from when she was younger, or before she was disowned by the 'Noble Black Family.' Either way, I know she was spoilt, and should share." I was laughing with Lily as we wrote home to our parents about the Holiday Ball that was coming up. It was nearly 3 weeks before Christmas Holiday started, and most students had decided early if they were staying at Hogwarts or going home, because they needed to write to their parents for them to send them dress robes or a gown.

"When I was younger," Lily was saying as she scribbled out two lines, then crumpled the piece of parchment entirely and switched the Gryffindor red ink out for a lilac shade, "My mum showed me a dress she had bought when she and dad were on a trip to America. She said she was going to wear it to a cousins wedding or something, but then she got pregnant with my sister and it wouldn't fit her. My mum said she was going to let Petunia wear it for any big formal events that popped up, but when she was about my age, mum said she was much too tall and that she'd give it to me if the opportunity arrived. It's very pretty."

I nodded in understanding, still trying to decide how to word my letter. After several minutes of writing and rewriting, I looked over it with a critical eye. "How does this sound to you, Lily?" I asked, and read aloud: "Dear Mum, Happy Holidays! I'm going to be staying at Hogwarts again for the Holidays. This year there is going to be a Holiday Ball, and I am really excited. I wanted to know if you could find a dress for me to wear to it, a nice one. Thanks! Anyway, how are you and Dad? I'm doing very well, and I've been good since your last letter. I hope everyone is well. I'll be writing again before the Holidays. Love, Nymph."

I looked up at Lily, only to find her laughing. "Is it that bad?" I inquired as she chocked down a last chuckle. "No, the letter was fine," she said, "I just didn't know that anyone called you Nymph aside from Remus. I thought he was the only one too stubborn to call you Tonks." Ah, yes. Moony might be a people pleaser, but he refused to call me by my preferred name. "But yes, it's very good. How's mine?" Lily adjusted her voice to a more serious tone and read: "Dear Dad and Mum, I've been doing very well. I got your letter just in time for a response to this one; I hope you have fun with Petunia in Australia. It's convenient I chose to stay over the Holidays, because there is going to be a Ball. Mum, I was wondering if you could send that dress you bought all those years ago in America. Big thanks! I hope everyone is well, and I hope to hear back before you leave. Love, Lily."

She looked up at me and tilted her head slightly in question. I smiled and nodded my head. "Now that is a good letter. What do you say we head up to the owlery with these, then go down to the Great Hall for dinner? I'm starved." Lily laughed and nodded in agreement, so we packed up our things and left the library arm in arm.

Second Author's Note: This one's a bit longer than the first, I think. If you didn't notice (but you probably did), I'm making Lily and Tonks really close friends, because the way my little AU goes is Tonks befriended the Marauders immediately and never really needed or wanted a best friend from her house or year, or gender, for that matter. But when Lily entered their group, they became very good friends. If you have any questions or comments, review. I'll answer any q's in the Author's Notes. Good night. (Or morning or afternoon, whenever your reading this. But for me, it's 3:41 AM and I'm going to bed.)


	3. Dresses, Dungbombs and Dates

Disclaimer: I can't fool even myself. I don't own these characters in any way at all.

Author's Note: Big thanks to doralupin86, jenanistonrockz and -, who reviewed this little mess of a story. Reviews are always welcomed=]. Also, I apologize for anything that was worded oddly in the last chapter, I uploaded it before I read over it, and when I went back I didn't find anything big enough to change out, so my laziness begs your pardon. This chapter is still from Tonk's perspective, starting about a week before Christmas Holiday. Tidbit of just-so-you-know-I'm-fully-aware-Tonks-isn't-a-Gryffindor information: I do know, as I have just stated, that Tonks isn't a Gryffindor, she's (as I mentioned at the end of the first chapter,) a Hufflepuff. I've just always thought that besides the End and Start of Term Feasts, students could sit at whichever table they want. Hope that prevents any confusion. Now I'm done with my spiel. Enjoy. =]

I was sitting at the Gryffindor table at breakfast between Remus and Sirius, across from Lily. Padfoot and Moony were arguing loudly across me about the first Quidditch match, which had been well over 3 weeks ago, with James and Peter. While I would have normally been the most deafening party in the conversation, I wasn't participating at all due to a total lack of sleep, for Lily insisted that on Hogsmeade Saturdays we wake up for an early breakfast. I sat with my arms folded on the table, my chin resting in the crook of my arm, looking between the raucous boys. At around 11 o'clock, when the owls arrived with mail, I was pulled from my trance-like state as a large parcel fell onto Sirius and my parent's owl landing next to my elbow.

Usually I would have thought that the package was intended for Sirius, since the owl dropped it in his lap, but I knew it was the dress my mum had sent. Lily had gotten hers two days previously, and had decided she didn't want to open it until I had mine, so we could open them together.

"What is that?" Remus asked in amusement as Sirius slid the cardboard box of a parcel onto my lap and groaned in pain. I assumed it had hit him hard.

"It's for the ball!" I came very close to screaming as I looked up at Remus and grinned widely. He chuckled at me, and then returned to the heated topic of Quidditch, none of them quite noticing when Lily and I left the table and left the Great Hall.

"Where exactly can we go to try on the dresses?" Lily asked as we talked up the Marble Staircase. The further up we got, I realized the package hadn't landed hard when it was dropped on Sirius—it was very heavy.

"Why not in one of the Girl's Bathrooms?" I suggested as we climbed up more stairs to Gryffindor Tower so Lily could get her package. I stood waiting while Lily told the password to the Fat Lady, who watched me as if I might repeat the password and break into the common room, until the portrait swung back open and someone was holding a parcel that was nearly as big as mine. We decided to head back to the Charms Corridor because at this time in the morning on a Saturday, it was where the bathroom that was most likely to be deserted was. And I'd be a person to know, because in the three and a quarter years I had been at Hogwarts, I'd already done my fair share of finding deserted places.

Five minutes later, I was sitting on a sink in the Girl's Bathroom while Lily was putting on her dress. "Ready to see how it looks?" I heard her voice from the furthest stall, sounding nervous and excited.

I hopped down from the sink, from which my feet dangled slightly above the floor, to allow more mirror visibility. "I most definitely am!" I said in a cheery voice. I was very much awake by this point, and couldn't wait to see the dress Lily had been talking about for a considerable amount of time. The door to the stall opened slowly inward, then closed again, and opened. I laughed to myself, guessing Lily was having a bit of trouble getting herself out with her dress on.

When she finally extracted herself and her dress from the stall, Lily walked over to me and the mirrors, a sheepish look on her face. A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. "Aw, Lily!" was all I squeaked out before walking over to her.

It was a fairly pretty dress, but it wouldn't have looked so charming on a different person. The color of it matched Lily's green eyes almost exactly. It had a fitted, beaded bodice with off-the-shoulder straps, was floor length and the skirt was slightly poufy. "How does it look?" she asked apprehensively, and I fought the urge to laugh at her nervousness.

"It looks fantastic! Prongs is going to love this…" I added absently, using James' nickname. Lily gave me a shy nod and walked again towards the back wall of the bathroom to change back into her jeans and tee shirt.

Upon entering the main section of the large bathroom again, Lily seemed more cheerful. "Let's see yours, then," she said, magicking her dress back into the box.

I knelt down next to my own package, took my wand out of my back pocket and used it to cut open the Spellotape mum had used to seal the package. I carefully lifted one side of the top, wondering if any bugs might come crawling out of it—it was from the Black family, after all. The first thing I saw was a note peaking out of the box. I took it out and read it out loud:

"Nymph,

"I found this up in the attic; I wore it to Bellatrix's wedding. I think it's something you'd like. Write back soon.

"Happy Christmas, love Mum."

"P.S., Tonks, I know you love having your hair original colours, but try to stick with something natural for the dress. Think black."

There was a smile face at the end of the post script, and the word "original" had replaced a crossed out "strange." I looked up at Lily with an arched eyebrow. "Well, come on. Let's see it," she said, intrigued by the vague note. I lifted up the top of the box all the way, and saw—

"Red." I stated simply. I closed the lid of the box and replaced my wand to its original safe-keeping place in my back pocket.

"You're not going to take it out?" Lily asked in disbelief. I looked at her in confusion for a second, and then remembered that she had, after all, only know me a few months.

"Oh, I don't have to. I nearly forgot. You have to try your dress on to make sure it fits and stuff, but I don't really have to, because I could grow, or get thinner, without trying." I explained in a manner that I believed to be relatively simple, but Lily looked half amused as she tilted her head to one side, like she often did in confusion. I pointed to myself and said, in hopes to be as simple as possible, "Metamorphmagus, remember?"

"Oh…." Lily said, drawn out, with a laugh. "I forget. It seems almost normal for you to turn up every day with different hair, or shorter, or a new nose, for that matter…" she speculated aloud, though mostly to herself. I gave a little chuckle at her almost absent-mindedness, and checked my watch.

"It's nearly noon, we'd better get going," I said, resealing the box and standing up. Lily gave a little not and picked up her own box.

We went back up to the seventh floor and I waited while Lily returned her dress to her dormitory. Then, taking the stairs two at a time (and nearly losing my footing and breaking an ankle more than once), I led the way down to the Entrance Hall, then into a side door, down a staircase, up to the only still-life painting in the castle and said a password. The handle to the door appeared and I pushed it openly quickly, hitting someone in the process.

"Sorry!" I said to the person, who I recognized to be a 7th year leaving the common room. He greeted Lily by name, which confirmed my assumptions. I walked across the large, rectangular room, went through the door to the girl's dormitories and into the room labeled "4th Years." I dropped my box on my bed, which was the only one with the hangings drawn, and ran back outside to the corridor to meet Lily.

"I believe we're to meet the boys in the Entrance Hall at noon, am I correct?" Lily asked, linking an arm through mine as we walked at a more decent pace down the corridor.

"When aren't you correct, Lily?" I answered her question with a question, true to Tonks-ish fashion.

Walking down the road to the village, I noticed that there were far less people going to Hogsmeade than normal. "They're probably all sitting around the castle, trying to pick up dates." Sirius speculated. I laughed at this; I knew he had already been cornered by no less than 4 girls and asked to be their dates to for the ball. That was likely one of the reasons why he intended to have me with him at all times during the visit. As much as Padfoot loved being loved, he had an understandable distaste for being cornered and, in some cases, threatened, although no one would be able to actually do anything to him. He was, all things considered, part of the most successful groups of mischief-makers Hogwarts had ever seen.

"Hey, Tonks," he said, changing the topic of conversation, "I heard that the package which caused me harm this morning was your dress for the ball. Can you…. Let me see it?" he asked, looking at me sideways as I glared at him from under a fringe of purple hair.

I smiled in a sickeningly sweet way. "Of course you can. I'll show you like I showed Lily," who started giggling at that statement, while Sirius was left confused.

"I only want to see what it is!" he insisted, looking befuddled. "I saw your mum a lot, you know, and I might remember it." He sounded quite insane, but I knew he wasn't lying. When he was around 5, my mum had worn the dress she sent to me, and Sirius would've been at Bellatrix's wedding as well.

"Fine," I said, reluctantly. "But you're not allowed to make fun of me for falling or tripping if you see it," I added, positive this would give him a hard choice.

"Actually," he said, "I think I can wait a week. The ball's a week from today, is it not? It's not such a big deal, and I don't have that great of a memory anyway…" he faded off, lying. I knew he had one of the best memories of anyone I had ever known, and I knew he was truly interested as to what my mum had sent me (because while making fun of me to my face was fun, making fun of me to my mum was a entirely new level). Sirius just really enjoyed laughing at me fall on my bum every time I trip over the untied laces of my trainers, and wouldn't give it up for all the Galleons in the Black Family's Gringotts vaults put together.

Remus found this exchange to be altogether entertaining, and he was reduced to fits of chuckles every time I stumbled over my feet from that point on. When we reached the main road of the town, he led us to the Three Broomsticks.

I threw three Sickles to Sirius, the cost of a bottle of butterbeer, and went to find a table with Peter.

"So…" I said, trying to initiate conversation. "Have you spoken to that Ravenclaw about the Ball, yet?"

Wormtail toyed with a button on his shirt. "Well, uhm… I spoke to her the other day during break…" If he was this nervous talking about it, I wondered what he had been like talking to the girl. "She said she'd go with me," he concluded, drawing himself up to his full height and looking rather proud of his bravery.

"That's brilliant!" I told him with a genuine smile creeping its way across my face. It was great that Peter had a date to the ball; he was so misunderstood by some people because of his shyness. As this occurred, Lily joined us, followed shortly by James, Sirius and Remus.

We sat together with our drinks for around an hour before we were finished. James and Wormtail followed Lily to Honeyduke's; I went to Zonko's with Remus and Sirius, who insisted that their depleted supplies could not and would not wait for candy.

"So what exactly do you need?" I laughed with Sirius as he pulled me by the wrist to the back of the joke shop.

He looked around, found a shelf of dungbombs and busied himself with them, talking to me discreetly. "What I need is dungbombs, my stock is dangerously low. What you need, Nymphadora," He ignored the groan that escaped me at his use of my ridiculous name; looked around again, I guessed to make sure no one was listening, and continued, "Is to corner Moony over there, like too many girls in your year have done to me this week, and ask him to accompany you to this supposed Holiday Ball."

He looked back up to my face, his eyes holding an expression that to anyone else would have been a dare to go against what he said. I gave him an equally burning look, however, and his glare faltered. "I need to do nothing of the sort," I said indignantly, looking away to cover the flush creeping up my neck.

"Fine then, I'll do it for you myself," Padfoot said, almost seriously, but couldn't stop himself from chortling as he took two steps toward the front of the store, where Remus was. "Seriously Tonks, do yourself a favor and just ask him. He's not as intimidating as he seems." He seemed to think he knew everything at that moment, irking me a tad more than called for.

"He doesn't seem intimidating at all, thank you very much," I said a bit too loudly, "And who says I have to ask Remus to the ball? Who said I even need a date?" I added quietly. Sirius rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't holding a box claiming to contain a thousand dungbombs, looking at the floor.

"I just assumed… Sorry…" I had known for a while that I could make him feel like a little kid caught-letting-that-owl-out-of-its-cage-when-your-parents-had-company, like my mum could. And I did, in fact, take advantage of that when the subject went to an undesirable place, because you can't just change the subject with Sirius. He's the one who saves awkward conversations by bringing up other things, but you just can't distract him.

It seemed Padfoot might have sulked around the rest of the afternoon, had I not tripped over the untied green laces of my trainer when leaving the shop ahead of him, which improved his mood vastly.

That Sunday, after dinner, I was sitting in the library looking through the book shelves, trying to find a book Professor Binns had mentioned while assigning an essay that was due by Friday's lesson. I was walking backwards, bending down slightly, trying to read the titles of the old books. For not the first time that day, I bumped into someone who had been stand in front of the same bookshelf as me.

"I'm sorry!" I said loudly, turning around to see the same Hufflepuff I had hit with the door the day before. "Oh, Merlin, I am so sorry! You mustn't have very good luck, to have run into me twice in one weekend," I said, looking up at the boy. I was a couple of centimeters shorter than him, but he seemed pretty short for a seventh year.

"It's okay." He said softly, looking me in the eye as if he were trying to read my thoughts. Thinking about what my dad had said once about eye contact being 'very important in legilimency, I broke my stare and looked down as he backed away down the aisles of books, and left the library without anything.

I sighed, looked around myself to make sure I didn't run the risk of walking into someone else, and continued my search. Several rows of shelves later, when I was losing my patience and debating whether or not I would be able to write the essay without the aid of the book, I ran into someone else.

"Hey, Moony," I greeted Remus; apparently surprising him and making him visibly jump. I gave a little giggle, something which was slightly out of character for me. "What are you up to?" I asked in a light voice that didn't show my previous aggravation towards the books.

He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily. "Just looking for a book for History of Magic. You?" he asked, his dark blue eyes looking into mine. His gaze didn't make me feel uncomfortable, like the Hufflepuff boy's did.

"Same. Need any help? I've just about given up on my book." He responded with an 'okay,' and we set to looking for the book.

Twice, I stepped on my shoelace and would've fallen over if Remus hadn't caught me by the arm or put a hand behind my back to hold me up. Seven times, we found the name of a book that seemed humorous, and we laughed about it in slow chuckles and giggles', eventually breaking into fits of laughter. And four times, Remus back tracked and read the same book title aloud; giving both of us a severe sense of déjà vu that would last for several moments before we realized what had happened.

It was nearly an hour later that we finally found the book Remus had been looking for. "That was certainly entertaining," he said with a laugh. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nymph," he said, leaving the row that we had been in.

"'Night Moony," I said, rolling my eyes at his still-strong refusal to call me Tonks. I continued to look around for my book after Remus was out of sight, my spirits lifted considerably. It was only a minute or two later that I heard familiar voices coming from two rows away from where I was standing.

I stood as still as possible, trying to hear what the people were saying. Failing, I moved as fluently as I could to the row between the speakers and I. I recognized the people immediately as Lily and Remus.

"You should really ask someone to the ball, Moony. It'd be fun."

"I'm not even entirely sure I'm going."

"Why not?"

"Wednesday night's a full moon." His voice was serious, but not urgent.

"And the ball is Saturday. That's two and a half days."

"Okay, yes, that is an alright amount of time—"

"And you'll have lots of fun, and thank me very much after."

Remus laughed. "Okay, fine, I'm going, but do I have to have a date?"

"Yes, you really truly do. You know who wants you to ask her?"

I held my breath, afraid to miss anything.

"I could guess. Or you could tell me…"

"Well," Lily was saying hesitantly, "How about hints? She's a Hufflepuff, related to someone we know, who's in our house." I wondered distantly if Lily could have been any more obvious.

"Okay, I'll talk to her, I guess. Are you sure she wants _me_ to ask her, though?" he sounded surprised, and I wondered if the hints that_ I_ had given had been a little too subtle.

"I'm absolutely positive." Lily sounded ecstatic. I honestly had to admit to being pretty excited myself.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Wow, you'd never think… Jeanette Macdonald… Honestly…"

The heartbeat that had been growing faster inside my chest stopped for several seconds. Jeanette Macdonald… She was in their year, she was a Hufflepuff; her twin Mary was in Gryffindor…

I lost any desire to find the History of Magic book. It was the reason I was in the library to hear that horrible conversation. Not quite knowing or caring about anything I may have left there, I ran from the library, tears clouding my vision, past the row of books where Lily was standing with him, down the extensive marble staircase, into the side door and down more steps. I had to repeat the password eight times before the doorknob appeared out of the still-life picture; sprinted through the common room, through the hall of girl's dormitories and into the door labeled "4th Years."

I pulled back the hangings on my bed and threw myself onto it, closing the hanging back up quickly. I gave an 'ouch' noise, muffled by my sobs, as I fell on a box with a beautiful dress in it, which I would wear to a ball that I no longer wanted to go to.

Second Author's Note: My apologies, it's been a few days since the second chapter was posted, this one took forever. If I don't count the Author's notes and disclaimer, it's 7 full pages on Word :O, which is a lot for me. For people who didn't make the connection, Jeanette Macdonald is the character I made up because her sister is the actual character Mary Macdonald who is mentioned in the Deathly Hallows chapter, 'The Prince's Tale.' I decided she would fill in the lucky part of the girl Moony asks to the ball. Also, I made a little Order of the Phoenix joke with Tonks keeping her wand in her back pocket. The line where Tonks says "Metamorphmagus, remember?" was inspired by a repeated line, almost catchphrase, from Ally Carter's second installment in the Gallagher Girls series, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy. Well, that's all I have to say about this chapter with a sad, depressing little end that deeply upset me. Reviewers get to be Jeanette Macdonald for a day=].


	4. Before the Ball

Disclaimer: I don't own a clumsy Hufflepuff, a shy animagus, a bespectacled boy who is deeply in love with his girlfriend, aforementioned boy's girlfriend, a goofy Gryffindor who is distantly related to a clumsy Hufflepuff, or a cute werewolf. But since I have this disclaimer, I can write about them. :p

Author's note: Oh my Godric; let me go over what's going on. This story has: been put on 7 story alerts, 9 reviews, and 5 favorite stories. This means **so much** to me. No joke, I get ecstatic over this stuff. Just thought I'd share. Anyway, I'd like to bring up that in about chapter 6 (yet to be named, as I am writing this author's note for chapter 4, and I write these at the beginning of the chapter-writing process) a very adult theme is going to be introduced. I'm not going to say what it is before that chapter, in which I'll be writing a specific warning, because I don't want anyone to piece together what will happen. Sorry, I know it's fun to make a guess as to what happens and then find out that you're right, but when it's your story, it's kind of like getting up to the punch line of a really long joke and the person you're telling it to states it before you do without a trace of humor on their face. Yeah, for me it's slightly depressing, because I'm a know it all who doesn't like being upstaged, even when it's only guessing. So my deepest apologies. Continuing; last chapter I got a review from a 'Megan3 Moony'sgirl' and I would like to inform you, my dear readers, of the fact that was my sister, who knows a moderate amount of Harry Potter information due to me, and has never read another Harry Potter fan fiction. In total, her review is considerably misleading and biased. Nothing against good reviews from my sister, but keep that in mind if you read it. Now, without further ado, I give you Chapter 4 (which I still haven't named, but you'll see it since when you read it, it'll be posted.)! =)

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The week that followed the incident in the library was very awkward for what should have been a happy last-week-before-Christmas-holiday week. Remus still didn't know that I had heard his conversation with Lily, because even though I told her, I refused to let her tell him. I wouldn't tell him myself, either, because I was sure he would just brush it off as a little embarrassing that I heard such 'a private exchange' between he and Lily. Because Remus was a genius, I couldn't deny it, but he was thick as a brick wall some times.

Monday morning I awoke earlier than normal, having had a fitful and restless sleep. Getting up to leave the dormitory for breakfast, I tripped over the box I had thrown without care to the ground. I kicked the large box under my bed and continued on my not merry way.

Unsurprisingly, I found Lily sitting with only James and Sirius at the Gryffindor table. Peter and Remus had a free period on Monday mornings before NEWT Transfiguration (Peter's best subject) and frequently opted to sleep in. I sat down across from Lily, next to Sirius and tried to join the conversation they were having, but it had terminated as I sat down.

The Marauders were excellent at hiding all types of things; hexes sent in the corridors, pranks, Slytherin's books (and on occasion, their clothes), Remus' secret… The point is, they could have fooled me into believing that they hadn't been talking about me any day. Lily, however, wasn't a Marauder, and relatively new to their behavior. Therefore, an uncomfortable silence fell as I sat with my friends. I looked at Sirius, hoping for his ability to create a good conversation out of an awkward one to kick in. His idea of a good conversation, it seemed, was different from mine.

"Guess what, Tonks?" He said, looking mischievous. I looked at him with an eyebrow arched in response. "I've been told that a Hufflepuff we know, who is related to a Gryffindor we know in my year, likes Moony. Three guesses who, and I'll give you a hint: It's not Jeanette Macdonald."

I had a sudden urge to punch Sirius, and I probably would have if the Hall had been more crowded or there weren't any teachers around. Instead, I flushed a bright pink, which probably matched my hair, and set my head on the table in my arms. I didn't listen, but I heard Lily reprimanding Padfoot for mentioning what she had told him. I couldn't be angry with Lily for telling him, though, because I asked her not to tell Remus, but hadn't said anything about anyone else. She gave me an apologetic look and waited for me to nod in response before she glared at Sirius for being so tactless.

The rest of the day, for me, was spent in lessons and in the Hufflepuff common room, working on my History of Magic essay. I was 4 inches from meeting requirements and going to Potions when the 7th year I had twice wreaked havoc on sat down next to me.

"Hello," he said in the same quiet voice he had used in the library. I vaguely wondered if he spoke like that on purpose.

"Hi. Can I… Help you?" I asked, a bit confused by this boy's strange decision to sit next to me.

"I'm sure you could. I'm Anthony. A formal introduction seemed necessary. Anthony Anderson." He held a hand out and I shook it.

"Nympha… Tonks. Just Tonks," I responded, feeling that not disclosing my name was the best way to not argue about it, because for some twisted, unfair reason, whenever it was mentioned, an argument almost always ensued.

"Tonks, eh?" He said in an inquiring voice, and I nodded, feeling my eyes were wider than normal in confusion. "Well, Tonks, I was wondering if you have a date to this ball that's coming up. If not, maybe you could come with me. It would be fun." He seemed like a charmer, for certain. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood for a charmer to be charming me.

"Thanks for the offer, but I have to decline," I said simply, folding up my parchment and putting it away in hopes of escaping to class early.

"Oh, you already have a date, do you?" This boy, Anthony's, vagueness was getting on the only threads of nerves that I had left.

"No, actually, I don't. I am going, but I'm not going to have a date. Maybe I'll see you there. I have class now, so goodbye." I put my History of Magic things in my bag and left the Common Room for Professor Slughorn's dungeon classroom.

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"You should've said yes. He's a nice boy." Lily was speaking (mainly to herself, it was too early in the morning for James or Sirius to listen, Peter was looking at his Ravenclaw sweetheart from across the Hall, and I just truly didn't feel like hearing it.)

"Lily, he's a complete phony. I can see right through him. It's all an act, he is just a charmer. You know what I mean," I said to her disbelieving expression, "He'll act all sweet at first, but when you get to know him, he just isn't that great of a person. Like James." That last part pulled James out of his revere long enough for him to throw a roll at me; Lily laughed.

"Well, you'll never know now. Remus might never come along." I blushed furiously and busied myself picking the crumbs out of my hair as Remus entered my mind for not the first time that day. It was Wednesday, I hadn't spoken to him in about three days, and it was the morning before a full moon. I was highly worried; although I knew I had no reason to be and would never dare to admit it. He was perfectly safe during full moons, especially with James, Sirius and Peter. But I was a paranoid person, and worrying is something paranoid people do well.

"This has nothing to do with Remus. I just told the guy I didn't want to have a date, I didn't say I refused to see him or talk to him." Maybe I was paranoid about this Anthony. Maybe I didn't like the impression he had on me. Maybe I just plain old didn't like him, which I would have been perfectly entitled to.

"Okay, fine. I have to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Connolly is finally letting us duel, no more disarming ferrets. Come on James, Peter, Sirius, we're going to be late!" Lily sounded like the mother hen of them all. Sirius ruffled my hair as he got up and I shook it back to its neatly ordered dishevelment as I left for Charms.

The rest of the day was slow paced, but soon enough I found myself sitting in the Library instead of the Common Room with the hope I wouldn't see Anthony Anderson. This, however, meant that I ended up sitting with Sirius, which wasn't the first place I'd want to be.

He was trying to make up for what had happened at Breakfast by talking as little as possible, which was a start, but not much. After two quarters of an hour of it, I stopped his attempts.

"Sirius, I know you didn't mean what you said this morning. Just, stop acting like you're walking on eggshells, I'm not going to snap at you for talking." His expression went from almost empty, to concerned, then a softer, more amused expression.

"I still can't harass you though, can I?" he asked with a glint in his eye that I had come to associate with misconduct.

"I don't understand why you enjoy harassing me, Mr. Padfoot, when all you do in the process is end up insulting your own friend and/or the only decent branch of our family," that glint in his eye died out as I pointed this out, "so, that would be a no. No harassment. Or dire consequences will be issued."

We laughed together for some time before curfew. "What I wonder is," he was saying as I packed up my book bag, "if I'm here with our lovely Miss Tonks, who is with our furry Mr. Moony?" Sirius had, in all honestly, believed he was telling a humorous joke, but the pulse in my chest picked up nonetheless.

"Sirius…. That's not funny; James and Pete _are_ with him, right?" I was suddenly at the height of my senses, having a slight anxiety attack at the thought of Sirius sitting with me fooling around if Remus was alone at a full moon. He nodded his head.

"Yeah, Tonks, it's okay, they're with him. I'm going to go meet them in a few minutes. I was only joking. By the way, this is completely called for: Tonksie, you LURVE Moony!" The reassurance he had allowed me was only thrown off seconds later by annoyance. Sirius continued in his sing-song voice until he got up to leave the now deserted Library. "I'll see you in the morning. Tonksie—"

"Sirius, just go. You have the biggest… one," I said in a whisper, "They really need you." The look on his face would have made me think he understood what I meant, but he proceeded to shout:

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID! –LURVES Moony! Tonksie LURVES Moony!" Or maybe not. He seemed to get my point, at least, because he left the Library and went in the direct of the Entrance Hall instead of the Gryffindor Tower.

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The next afternoon, I was sitting at the Gryffindor table with everyone but Remus when he came into the Great Hall for the first time that day. He sat in the seat that was available in our little cluster, which was conveniently located next to me (courtesy of Sirius).

As he sat down, I felt that I needed to speak to him in the slightest at least or I'd burst. "So," I asked him, "are you feeling okay?" I asked the typical question I had always asked; I had a feeling that routine would be more normal than a conversation.

"I'm actually feeling pretty well. Not as bad as usual." He rolled his shoulders back and bent and elbow in examination, probably to prove his point, because Madame Pomfrey had already checked him out herself.

"Well," I said in a voice that sounded slightly haughty and nothing like me, "that's very good." I looked away from him pointedly, and across from me I heard Sirius start humming something that sounded uncannily like the chant he had started in the Library the previous night and composed into a song since then. I kicked him squarely in the shin from under the table with precision he often regretted teaching me. That caused his song to become an enjoyable moan of pain, and I smiled to myself and I looked determinedly around the Hall for something to stare at until Care of Magical Creatures began.

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The rest of the week passed in a blur, and before I knew it I was doing homework for the Holidays on Friday, sitting by myself in the common room. There were hardly any Hufflepuffs staying for the Holidays, so I opted to be alone for a few hours instead of going to the Library with the Marauders and Lily.

_What if Lily's right?_ I asked myself. _What if Remus never does come around? Never even thinks of me in that way? Well, _I thought, _that would be terrible, of course, but maybe Mum's dress could make him think of me like that…_

I allowed my mind to wander as I cleaned up my things and went to the girl's dormitory and went to sleep in what would be the only occupied bed for two weeks, which was standing over a box with a possibly beautiful dress in it.

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Second Author's Note: So, how did you like it? It's pretty much filler, nothing really important happens. It did, however, take me nearly a week to write, albeit I only wrote like 2 hours, due to my not very busy but hard schedule. I feel like sharing things that are very relevant: First, I believe Hogwarts students do have a two week Christmas Holiday, so I'm sticking with that, because this story is pretty much an outtake of the series I'm working on (for which you'd have to read this anyway) and this is only going to span those two weeks. Second, I know for a fact that JK Rowling's characters don't have a uniform. I assume this means that "Standard Work Robes" (or something like that) means that they wear Hogwarts Wizard Robes with whatever under them. I'm saying this now cause in about 3 chapters I mention clothes and want to avoid the slim chance of getting a message or review telling me that they wear robes. Okay, now that I've covered that, I have another thing I'd like to share. I very recently had one of those dreams where a bunch of things happen and enough of them are bad to consider it a nightmare. One of those elements was that I was reading my emails and someone reviewed or messaged me saying that my story is absolutely horrid and I didn't get the characters right at all, that my story wasn't going anywhere and I didn't have a plot. Well, dream-me almost emailed this person (who truly didn't have an identity, and I'm not just saying this,) and told them exactly what is going to happen and where everything is going, but then my dream-self thought, 'Well, what's the point? If this person doesn't like my story, they don't have to read it. If I'm not a good enough writer, sucks for them.' I felt really happy with myself when I woke up though, I felt like I was good enough to not fall under pressure. Now I'm done with that, and I'm sorry this has taken so long, again, I'll update ASAP, and any questions message me; comments, review. I love both, they make my day [= Au revoir (No joke, that phrase looks a lot cooler in my head. Haha, bye:]).


	5. Warning and a Walk

Disclaimer: I'd love to tell you I own any/all of these characters, places, objects, etc, but that, dears, would be lying. So, no. Just no.

Author's note: Sorry for taking so long to update. I was sick last week and didn't start writing this until Friday. And I guess, if you're reading this, you're either very patient or must like this story, or a combination of the two. So not to keep you waiting any longer, I give you chapter five :].

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On Saturday morning, I was woken up unpleasantly by a familiar looking owl sitting on the table next to my bed. It hooted loudly, picking at the cluttered tabletop. I heard the jingle of coins, the dropping of parchment, and the flutter of wings. Sighing, I sat up to see what the owl had brought. A rolled up note was lying there, tied with a scarlet piece of string. The word _Tonksie_ was printed on the outside. I opened it and read:

_Morning, Tonksie._

_ Come down to the Great Hall. My owl came with the others without any mail so I sent to get you. I want you to hang out with us today, no library or books. So either come eat breakfast before it's over (which should be in about twenty minutes) or meet us under the beech tree by the Black Lake. See you soon._

_ -Padfoot._

I yawned, stretching my arms above my head and got out of bed to get ready for the day. Within five minutes I was walking up the stairs into the Entrance Hall, tripping over the laces of my trainers, and finding Sirius at the Gryffindor table.

"'Bout time," he grumbled as I sat down. No one else was there; I assumed they had all left already.

"Sirius," I said, sounding slightly disbelieving, "I got your owl not ten minutes ago. How could I have been here any faster?"

He snorted. "You could get up like the rest of us. Anyway, moral of the story is, I wanted to make sure you didn't sneak off. You are most definitely not sitting in the Hufflepuff Common room with some homework or a book. Ball's tonight, by the way."

"Is it?" I asked nonchalantly; Padfoot nodded. "Well, that's exciting. Did you ask anyone to go with you, or did all those cornerings make you decide to go alone?"

"No, I haven't asked anyone, but I thought, 'hey, Tonksie says she doesn't want a date, and I don't have a date, and we could still talk to and dance with people, so why don't we go together?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Be my date, baby cousin!" He was too cheerful compared to someone who had just been woken up.

"Okay, sure. Fine. This could be fun." I honestly didn't see a problem with his idea; I thought it was pretty smart, actually.

"Right. So are you going to eat, or do you just want to wait 'til lunch?" Leave it to Sirius to change the subject of dates within thirty seconds. I told him I'd just wait, seeing as there was about ten minutes before breakfast ended. "Coming?" He asked as he picked up his book bag, which I assumed was filled with mischief-causing materials (I was only half right. There _were_ actually books in there); I got up and followed him.

The ground was frozen outside, but the sun kept the air warm enough if you were wearing appropriate clothing. We made our way around the lake toward the large tree facing the castle where someone had laid a large, thick blanket.

"Guess who finally woke up," I said loudly, gaining the attention of Lily, James, Peter and Remus. They all said mumbled greetings to me and Sirius before returning to what they had been doing. A strange combination of Lily watching James show off, bickering, and snogging was happening between the two; Peter was contently watching the clouds drift across the sky; Remus was (as typical) reading a book that would take a normal person three weeks to finish; he looked three-fourths way through it. Sirius walked over by James and Lily to watch amusedly. I sat myself between Remus and Peter, following the latter's example and watching the soft blue sky.

"Hey, Nymph," Remus had put his book down and was addressing me quietly. I glanced at him, then back upward.

"Yes? It's Tonks, by the way…" I said, drawn out, grumbling and rolling my eyes.

He sat up to face me directly. I kept my stare on a small cloud moving slowly southward. "You plan on going to the ball tonight, right?" I nodded. "Well, if Anthony Anderson speaks to you or asks you to dance, ignore him."

I was thoroughly confused by this random statement. "And why should I?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed, looking at Remus.

"Well," he looked apprehensive and I wondered if he'd tell me the truth or a fib. "I overheard him talking with another Hufflepuff during Herbology," Remus stated quickly. I gave him a look that asked what he had heard. He sighed.

"I can't tell you, you honestly don't want to hear. Just remember what I said tonight, please?" He looked at me pleadingly.

"Okay, I'll try... I'm going as Sirius's cousin/friend/date, any matter. No one aside from you guys knows we're related, he'll probably leave me alone anyhow."

Remus gave me a smile that looked slightly sad. It felt strange to know that we knew each other's biggest secrets but mine was nothing in comparison to his. I was Sirius's cousin; my mum _was_ a member of the "Noble and Most Ancient Black Family," before she was disowned for marring my dad. Hardly anyone knew; too many people in the school were somehow related to me or Sirius for that common knowledge to be spread. Remus, however, had a secret that would affect him for the rest of his life. Lycanthropy would cause most of the hardships he faced, although not all of them; he was much too hard on himself and too selfless to let himself off the hook. When I looked at the two secrets together, his seemed so huge and important; mine seemed feeble and trivial.

"So, when did you ask Jeanette Macdonald to the ball?" I asked, making conversation. I enjoyed talking to Remus, even small talk. He was a very interesting and intelligent person. I seemed to have figured out that trying to ignore him for misunderstanding Lily was pointless.

"During Monday's Transfiguration lesson. How did you know that I asked her?" _Oh, crap._

"Lily told me on Wednesday at breakfast," I said quickly and, apparently, convincingly, because he opened his mouth as if saying, 'oh…' and nodded.

"And seeing as you accepted Sirius's invitation, you sincerely meant it when you told him you didn't want a date?" I raised both my eyebrows, wondering why he knew of that conversation. "He was talking about accompanying you last night in the dormitory. Pete asked why you hadn't a date yet, Sirius said you told—scolded, rather— him about not wanting a date.

"Oh. Well, it's not like I don't want a date," I had laid back down, Remus following my example instead of picking his book up again. "I mean, I had a few boys in mind I wouldn't have been against going with. None of them asked, and I honestly don't need a date to have fun at the ball, so I didn't feel it necessary to ask one of them myself." He nodded slowly in understanding.

"And what would you have said to a boy who wasn't on the list of people you had in mind, if he asked you?" He looked curious, but as he was a Marauder, I would have been more worried if he hadn't.

"Same thing I told—right, you weren't there." He looked completely confused. "On Monday evening, in the Common Room, Anthony Anderson asked me to be his date." I said the name slowly and deliberately, observing Remus's reaction. He visibly tensed, and I became even more compelled to find out what the Hufflepuff had said.

"Did he?" I could tell his casualty was forced. "What did you say?"

"I told him thanks but no thanks, that I didn't want a date. Or at least not him," Remus looked quite astounded by my bluntness; he always kept hope that one day I'd wake up acting like the polite little girly-girl he knew I honestly could be. "I didn't say that part out loud!" I laughed at his poor belief in me; he chuckled a bit.

"So anyway," I continued, "you should come with me to get something from my dormitory in a little while. If you do, you'd be the first to see it, beside my mum." Remus's eyes widened and I hit him on the shoulder. "No, not that! Sick mind, you have! Every single one of you…. My dress, Remus, the dress!"

"Oh… Well, on that matter, are Gryffindors even allowed in the Hufflepuffs' Common Room? And I'm sort of a boy," I'd noticed. Man, actually, I'd say, "I wouldn't exactly be welcomed in the Girl's Dormitories. And also, you didn't even look at your dress yet? You are so much less curious than the other girls in the school…"

I laughed at his thoughts. "No, Moony, Gryffindors are allowed to go into the Hufflepuff Common Room. If you're with someone who knows the password, at least. It's only the Fat Lady who's careful to who she lets in, even if they know the password. Remind me to send an owl to someone before I try to break in to see someone, please? Anyway, there isn't a staircase to throw boys down, Hufflepuffs are supposed to have good judgment, or have you not listened to the Sorting Hat in the past seven years? So it's pretty much a trust system. And no, I haven't looked at my dress, I am not as curious as the other girls, and yes, I've gotten a Gryffindor boy into the Hufflepuff girls' dormitories before." I gave another laugh, almost giggle-like, at the fast speed of my explanation.

"Three guesses who," he muttered as he glanced implyingly at my cousin, who was flailing his arms as the Giant Squid poked a tentacle above the water. "Okay, sure. I'll come to see your dress." Remus sighed in a defeated kind of way. I smiled at him and he rolled his eyes halfheartedly, picking his book back up and burying his nose in it.

As I looked back up at the sky I noticed a drastic difference. The previous clear blue had turned a darker, greyer shade with gloomy clouds rolling slowly south. I rolled over onto my stomach and watched Sirius make a fool of himself while acting out a particularly noisy part of Lily and James's argument.

Time passed very quickly as the overhanging clouds became thicker. The noise dissipated from the direction of Lily and James and Sirius settled himself to throwing pebbles in the Lake to get the Giant Squid to show itself.

"Hey, don't you think we should go to lunch? It's one-thirty," Peter suggested. I was surprised at the time; I had thought it was nearly an hour earlier than it was. I realized then that I was very hungry.

"I second that notion," I said loudly, being the first to stand up. I stole Sirius's book bag before he could get up and started running back towards the castle.

"HEY! TONKS! GET BACK HERE," Sirius was yelling at me. "BRING IT BACK NYMPHADORA!"

At that statement, I dropped his bag where it was and backtracked as fast as I could. I walked up to Sirius, and he visibly regretted calling me Nymphadora. I took off my shoe and proceeded to hit him with it.

"DON'T—" thwack. "CALL ME—" thwack. "NYMPHA—" thwack. "DORA!" thwack.

I continued walking back towards the school at a moderate pace now, listening to Lily and Remus cracking up and James and Peter hiding chuckles. "I want my money back, by the way!" I called over my shoulder. I heard Sirius ask someone what I was talking about. "Your owl stole money from my table this morning! I want it back."

Someone's fast, heavy footfalls caught up to me, and Remus smirked at me as he changed his pace to match mine. "It's extraordinarily convenient that I can call you Nymphadora and get off with a warning, but Padfoot gets beat up for it." He gave a quiet laugh.

"Fine, you want me to beat you up, too?" I sounded serious, but when we looked at each other I smiled. "He's family. It's different."

"You don't love me like family, Nymphadora?" He asked in a teasing voice. I hit him hard with the shoe I still had in my hand. "Ouch! Uhm… Kidding…" He brushed the dirt from my shoe off his shirtsleeve while I rolled my eyes at him.

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"What problem do you have with this guy, Remus?" Lily was on about the seventh year Hufflepuff again. This time, at least, she was talking to Remus about it.

"It's not that I had anything against him personally. I just heard him talking in class the other day. He said things that no one should say about people."

"You know Moony, being cryptic doesn't normally help your argument. 'Specially against Lily," James informed Remus, winking at Lily.

"I'm not being cryptic. I'm just saying that you two should really keep your distance from Anderson, 's all." He indicated me and Lily.

"But he wouldn't try to talk to Lily anyway. No offense," I added when she gave me a shocked look. "Not at the ball, she'll be with James the entire time," I argued for Lily's side.

Remus looked down the table to the head of the Great Hall. The Gryffindor table was growing steadily less populated as the noise in the Hall died down. "Can you at least try to listen to me?" He looked at me imploringly, then Lily.

"Alright, I'll stay away from Anderson. As long as I'm kept busy. You know how curious I get when I'm bored." I gave Remus a sickly sweet smile, then turned it to Sirius, who would highly regret being at the ball with me under such circumstances. "I'm going back outside. Who's coming?" I got up and left the Hall without waiting for any response. By the look of the enchanted ceiling, it wasn't long before rain started.

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I sat under the beech tree facing Hogwarts from the other side of the lake and started to read the book I had stolen from Sirius's bag sometime in the middle of lunch.

"I didn't know you took Muggle Studies," someone said from the other side of the book. I then learned it was a Muggle Studies textbook—the class Sirius decided to take to spite his parents.

"I don't, I took it from Sirius." I lowered the book and saw Moony kneeling half a meter away to read the cover of the book. He got up and sat next to me.

"Oh. I can't believe he still takes that class. Of all things to interest a member of the most anti-muggle pure-blood family… But I guess that's Padfoot, isn't it?" He gave me a crooked smiled.

"Well I—" _splash._ A drop of water hit me on the forehead, distracting me from my response. "It's raining," I said simply instead.

He smiled broader and used his thumb to wipe the raindrop from my face. "Yeah, it is." He let out a chuckle. "I don't think anyone else is coming out," he said, taking a glance at the wooden door that looked rather small from our distance. "It's three o'clock," Remus added casually.

"Thanks for the update, Big Ben," he looked at me, surprised by my sudden sarcasm. I winked playfully and gave what sounded too close to a giggle to be me. I listened to Remus laugh for a few seconds then stood up.

"You going back inside?" He asked, standing up too.

"Nope," I said, looking down at the now damp ground and watching my feet. "I'm just walking around," I told him airily. Remus joined me, walking in silence. We started a slow circle around the Black Lake.

"So." I said after a few minutes of silence, "Are you sure you won't tell me what Anderson said that was so bad?" I looked at Remus with curious eyes.

"I can't. It wasn't necessarily _bad_; he wasn't saying anything we're not allowed to say. The part that I heard just sounded… crude, I guess. I just want to make sure you keep an eye out. And Lily," he added quickly.

"Fine then. I guess I'll just blunder around clueless." I said, to a reply of "No more than normal, really." I scoffed at him.

"Really, Remus? Must you always poke fun at the walking safety hazard?"

"Well, if you _didn't _walk, you wouldn't be a safety hazard, now would you? Actually…" I rolled my eyes. "You have to admit, you can cause a fair but of damage while sitting down, too." He was right, of course. I could.

"'Kay, if we're done making fun of the klutz, want to come see my dress now?" I smiled a girly smile that I only showed a select few people because, well, girly just wasn't something I openly was.

"Sure," he laughed, and we turned around, setting course to the castle.

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"I can't believe that in seven years I have never been down here," Remus was speculating on our way to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"'Course you have. You were down in the kitchens with the other boys last week, remember?" I led the way down the small staircase to the still-life picture.

"Yes, but not in your Common Room. It's different." I rolled my eyes at him for the hundredth time. I whispered the password and the doorknob appeared with a very faint 'pop.'

Remus opened his mouth in protest; I grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him across the Common Room into the hallway with the Girls' Dormitories. I walked down to the door labeled "4th Years," opened the door forcefully and shoved him inside.

"Why'd you have to do _that_?" Remus asked testily.

"'Cause you would have figured out a way to wiggle yourself out of this if I hadn't," I answered matter-of-factly. "So do you want to see the dress? Or you want to see it on me?"

He raised an eyebrow mischievously and I hit him on the shoulder. Moony laughed. "Let's just see it on." He sat on the trunk at the foot of my bed.

I crawled under my four-poster and got the big cardboard box out from under it. Then I climbed up onto the bed and closed the hangings.

"_This_ is a big dress," I said, surprised, upon taking it out of its box. It took me a bit of time to get it on.

"Ready?" I called from the half-lighted enclosure of my yellow bed hangings.

"Sure, come on out," Remus said, sounding distracted. I opened the curtains to my bed and carefully stepped down. Remus's jaw visibly lowered.

"_Whoa._"

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Second Author's Note: Bit of a cliffhanger, I know. I think I'm happy with how this chapter ends, though. Next chapter is the actual ball, I swear! This chapter might be somewhat of a disappointment, having to wait for me to update then to find out that this isn't the ball. I said that the big thing would come into play in the 6th chapter and to be honest, I didn't know I was going to do these things until I realized that if I didn't then I would have lied because then they would have come in during the 5th chapter. Well, hope you enjoyed it, anyway. I'll update ASAP. Review, that's always good. =]


	6. The Holiday Ball I

Disclaimer: Nope. I own a big imagination that I may use one day to make up my own characters, but I don't own these.

Author's Note: Wow, chapter six. Let's just say, I'm surprised I haven't gotten boo'd out yet, because I'm sure I've taken long enough to publish these. So, yay, chapter six! This is going to be a two-part chapter because it's just too long to keep as one. Enjoy, if you've stuck with me long enough to read it. :]

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"Is that a good 'whoa,' or a bad 'whoa?'" I joked while Remus rearranged his features back to an indifferent expression.

"No, it's good," he said, a laugh evident in his voice. "Do you need help with that?" Remus asked, coming closer to me and gesturing toward the dangling strings that laced up the back of the dress.

"Oh—yes, please," I said, just noticing them, and turned around, holding my hair up. While he was preoccupied, I scrunched my face and adjusted my… body… so the dress fit better—looked better. I turned back around to face Remus and he smiled very slightly.

"You're hair's still orange," he pointed out, catching one of the vivid waves between his fingers. "Did you plan on changing that?" His voice wasn't quiet; it sounded almost too loud in the silent room.

"Right, yeah…" I said, and I got the box off my bed and took the note from my mum out off the bottom, skimmed over it and placed it down on my trunk. Remus picked it up as I walked in front of the reflective, empty portrait in the center of the room.

I scrunched up my face again, opening my eyes every few seconds to see how close I was getting to the colour I was attempting for my hair. "Your mum said you should make your hair black. Is that what you're doing?" Remus asked, amused at my shifting hair.

"Not exactly. She said 'think black,' I'm thinking _Black_." I elaborated, and a confused look crossed his face. "You know, Black, like Sirius Black? Like, Andromeda Black? As in, like my mother's hair colour. It'll look better than plain old black," I said knowingly. "A-ha." I said, finding the colour I was looking for.

"You look just like your mother," Moony stated with a laugh, and I realized that he had picked up the waving picture of my family from my bedside table.

"Well," I said, slightly embarrassed to have my looks compared to those of my blue-blood mother's, "features tend to be received from one parent or another. Can you help me get—uh, out of this—dress?"

In true Marauder—or maybe it was just Moony, I'll never know—fashion, Remus raised and dropped his eyebrows suggestively before grinning and grabbing me by the hips to spin me around. I laughed a high pitched, girly, chirp-ish laugh that I don't think I'd ever heard out of myself before. He unlaced the ribbons on my dress and turned me around again. The top of the dress started falling over and I caught it just in time as I stumbled and was caught by the forearms, finding myself smiling embarrassedly at Remus, who was at a proximity that would've been uncomfortable had it been someone else, my head tilted almost entirely up and I noticed for certainly not the first time that Remus was almost two head taller than me, and as he looked down at me, I saw the depths of his dark blue eyes laugh with delight over how much more unsteady I was than normal at that moment, though he didn't know that it was because of him.

"So," Remus said, his volume seeming normal now, after the small fit of noise I had created. "What do you plan on doing, seeing as we have—" he checked the watch on his wrist—"four hours before 'prep time,' as Lily has deemed the half hour before the ball."

I laughed, climbed up onto my bed and changed back out of the big dress in the yellow darkness of the hangings. "I wanted to find everyone and go back outside. It's not too cold for three days before Christmas, and I feel like talking advantage of it." A deep laugh sounded.

"I can't really be sure, Nymph, 'cause there aren't any windows, but I think it's pouring out." Remus laughed again.

"Fine then," I folded the dress back into the box and left it on my bed. "I'll go out by myself."

"You're crazier than you look, aren't you?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the door.

"Probably, but this has nothing to do with my sanity. I want to go outside, and no amount of rain is going to stop me." I folded my arms across my chest indignantly.

"Okay, so you're not crazy," Remus said, eyeing me observantly. I nodded. "You're just _really_ headstrong." I narrowed my eyes, insulted.

"Pretty much, but you _don't_ have to be so blunt." He uncrossed his arms and so did I. I rested my hands on my hips and Remus leaned down so his head was level with mine.

"I'm sorry; did I hurt your feelings?" I nodded, my eyes still narrowed. "Let me call an ambulance."

I smacked the back of his head lightly, though with enough force to show my frustration at his remark.

"You are totally _not_ funny." I laughed though. Once you hit someone, you can't really stay mad. "So are you going to let me go on my crazy, headstrong way, or do I have to physically remove you from my way?"

"I can't join you on your crazy, headstrong way?" Moony smiled, and I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes.

"I don't see why not," I said, feigning impatience. "Come on, let's go." I grabbed his wrist and pulled him from the dorm, back through the common room and out into the entrance hall.

In the hall I saw Lily walking around by herself. She looked like she was pacing or looking for someone. "There you are!" she exclaimed when she saw Remus and I. "I haven't seen you since lunch. I need to know if you're going to come and get ready with me and a few other Gryffindor seventh years at seven-thirty."

"Sounds like fun. Just Gryffindors?" I wasn't going to forget soon a girl who was related to a seventh year Gryffindor. Lily nodded, to my relief. "Well, I'm—" Remus nudged me—"We're going outside. Want to join us?"

"Okay, for a bit. It's only three-forty-five, but I can't really dry my hair easy as you. And I've only just figured out how to charm a curling iron to heat up. No Muggle appliances work here, so obviously the iron wouldn't, but I think I've got it. I don't have time to charm a hair dryer, too."

"You know, Lil, you don't have to justify it, we won't hold you down and make you stay outside," Moony laughed with her, or maybe at her.

So we left the entrance hall and found, when standing under the large overhang over the front oaken door, that it was very nearly pouring. Remus was right. Remus was always right.

Lily seemed extraordinarily nervous, exposing her hair to such excessive amounts of water. It amused me and Remus though, because his hair is, well, short, and I could dry mine on my own.

We stayed under the overhang; I occasionally would walk out into the shower to see how bad it was. Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang out in the clock tower. "Well," Lily said, "Four o'clock. I'm going to go find James. Or Pete, or even Sirius, and go to the library." She opened the large door and left.

"She _really_ doesn't like rain, apparently," I observed while Moony laughed. "_Sirius_? Really, she'd rather hang out with him in a library than be out here? I feel slightly offended."

I left the overhang for the eighth time, except this time I sat down on the steps in the rain. Remus sat down next to me after a minute or two.

Remus was studying me closely as I looked out at the endless sheets of rain. "What are you thinking of?" he asked quietly, putting his elbow on his knee.

"The ball," I answered before turning to him. "What about you?" He looked slightly surprised I asked. Remus, apparently, had forgotten my curiosity.

"People." He replied simply. _Which people,_ I asked with my eyes. "The kind that talks," he laughed at the look I gave him. "People who'll be at the ball."

"Oh," I nodded. "I know what you're talking about. Are you nervous about the ball? Like, dancing?" I'd never tell Sirius that I didn't know how to dance at a formal ball. He'd probably been taught when he was three, just because he's a Black and his family is the way it is.

"Not really. I have an aunt who got married over the summer holiday, and I had to learn how to ballroom dance for her wedding. It's not that horrid." He looked sure, but I didn't entirely believe him.

"Here," Remus said, taking my hand in his and standing up. "I'll show you."

"What—Now? Here?"

"Sure, why not?" Moony was smirking, and his eyes were sparkling. He was either hoping I'd trip like I normally do when trying to do something new, or he was genuinely excited about dancing… with me?

***

"Okay, so I've got that part, but what do I do after I take the third step?" Remus was now teaching me a complicated ballroom dance that I couldn't remember the name of for the life of me.

"You just have to do this," He said, gripping my waist and guiding me.

"Oh, I get it. Then this?" Moony twirled me around and I slipped on the muddy grass. He caught me, holding my waist still. We laughed for an indefinite amount of time before the bell in the clock tower rang for the third time since Lily had gone inside.

"It's seven already?" Remus asked, looking like he was having more fun than he had all year so far. "I didn't even notice it got dark."

"Hmm, me neither. I guess time flies when you're having fun and/or tripping and nearly doing a face-plant into mud every six minutes."

Remus laughed again. "Do you think we should maybe go inside?" His dark eyes were bright.

"Not a chance, we still have thirty minutes before Lily risks walking out the door to inform me that everyone is getting ready. And I still haven't learned the end of the dance." I smiled up at Remus and he smiled back.

We continued dancing and learning and slipping and catching for a fair few minutes before the dark, cloudy sky was illuminated by a flash of light.

"Lightning," Remus's voice was just a whisper under the thunder that followed.

"Thunder," I sounded extremely loud in the quiet that was only compromised by the splat of rain on the saturated ground. We laughed more, and I thought that maybe this was the most fun _I'd_ had all year.

Ignoring the lightning that wasn't followed by thunder after the initial clap, Moony and I danced on, laughing and falling and making fun.

The great oak door opened a bit and someone slipped outside, peeking out into the dark wetness. "Moony? Tonks?" It was Sirius. Another flash of lightning lighted a silhouette of Remus and me with our too-close proximity, and Sirius cat-called.

"Knew it would happen," Padfoot said, just loud enough for us to hear. "Come on, Tonks, Lily told me to get you for her, and there is not a chance I'm going into that rain."

"A dog that hates rain as much as Lily. Never would have thought," Remus joked and I giggled. We walked back towards the stone steps and didn't notice that our hands were intertwined until Sirius looked pointedly at them. I dropped my hand quickly and looked away for a moment, most certainly blushing.

"Well, I'll see you two at the ball. Thanks for teaching me, Moony," I said, and left them to go on their own way.

***

"Tonks, your hair is soaked!" Stephanie Jackmann said when I pushed open the door.

The Gryffindor seventh year girls (and me) were getting ready for the ball in the bathroom down in the Charms corridor. Only one of the seventh years had gone home for the holidays, so there were only five of us in total. Lily, Stephanie, Rachael and Mary were all standing at different sinks across the long wall, all of them had a different size box with them and they were doing something different with their hair and makeup.

Stephanie had seen me through her mirror where she was straightening her curly hair. "_Why_ is your hair so wet?" Lily turned to me with a knowing look on her face.

"She was outside with _Remus._" Mary glanced through her mirror at me uncomfortably. I went to the mirror next to Lily's, the last one in the row. I dropped my heavy box and looked at Lily.

"Her sister's going to the ball with him, remember?" I whispered to her. _Oh,_ she mouthed to me

"Not only is your hair soaked, it's, like, a normal colour," Rachael observed. Lily added, "And it's really long," as she set down her curling iron to put hairspray in her hair.

"It's soaked because I was outside and it's now pouring with lightning; my hair is normal colour on purpose, I'm wearing it this colour to the ball, and I don't know why it's so long," I informed them, slightly puzzled by the length that had developed.

I looked in the mirror and scrunched my face up. When I opened my eyes again my hair was long, dry, dark brown and curly. I got to work pinning the top half of my hair up in a ring of curls. To avoid using makeup, I scrunched my face up again and concentrated on thickening and darkening my eye lashes to a dark black. The other girls were finishing up with their hair and makeup and gossiping at the same time.

Taking my box into a bathroom stall, I changed again into the big, red dress; hearing the noises of the slip of fabric and zippers riding through their tracks from other stalls under a mix of loud and hushed voices.

I left the stall and saw Lily in her emerald green dress. She looked very pretty, all done up. "Hey, Lil, could you help me with this?" I asked, holding out the strings on my dress. She laced it up quickly and clumsily, laughing. I could feel the happiness rolling off of her; she was in total love with James and couldn't wait for the ball with him.

"My mum sent me a tiara to go with the dress, but it has red stones in it. I wish it hadn't, it's cute," she was saying.

"Well, red will match your hair," I said, pointing to the dark red waves, "Wear it," I told her; then helped her put the tiara in her hair.

Within a few minutes all five of us were ready. We left our things there to collect later and made our way to the marble staircase. In the entrance hall everyone separated and I saw Sirius.

"Hello, Padfoot," I said, sneaking up behind him.

"Hello—Whoa, Tonks, I've never seen you so… Girly," he told me, taken aback by my appearance.

"Well, I wouldn't get used to it—these heels are kidding me already." Sirius laughed, and then I noticed who he was talking to. "Hi, Moony; shouldn't you be with Jeanette?"

"Hey Nymph," he said. "I haven't seen her yet. She told me she'd be here at eight."

"Hm. Well, I hope she gets here soon, because I'm stealing Sirius." I winked at him, grabbed my cousin by the wrist and strutted away with my heels clanking loudly against the flagged stone floor.

Five minutes passed as I goofed around with Sirius. The hall filled; Lily met James at the top of the stairs; Peter found his Ravenclaw sweetheart; Remus spotted Jeanette Macdonald at the door to the kitchens. She was wearing a short purple dress and she looked very comfortable with Moony.

At exactly seven o'clock, the doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor Flitwick was standing with Professor McGonagall. "You may come in now," She said, a faint smile on her face.

I walked through the large doors with Sirius and was stunned by the changes that had occurred in the Hall since lunch. The professors had done something to the Enchanted ceiling that cause the rain to change to snow, which actually fell all the way for a change and dusted everything. The long house tables had been replaces by hundreds of smaller, round tables with silver table cloths and delicate-looking silver chairs. There was a grey and blue tiled section in the middle of the Hall, a dance floor. An orchestra of enchanted instruments was playing at the top of the Hall.

"Well, I can safely say this is the nicest party I've ever seen. Black Family parties are all green and grey," Sirius laughed.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Dumbledore was saying at the head of the Hall. "Would you please seat yourselves at a table so I could read rules of the ball? Thank you," he said; the student body was silent.

"Rules of the Holiday Ball are as follows: First, the ball is starting now, at eight o'clock, and will end at midnight. Second, no inappropriate behavior will be tolerated," I could've sworn he looked at each of the Marauders in turn, "including jinxing, hexing, and vulgar behavior. Any person who does not comply with this rule will be asked to leave. Thirdly, we ask that you enjoy food and beverages available, but please do not make a mess. If you all can agree with these rules, I can say that we will all have a very enjoyable night. Thank you," he said again, stepping back from the podium he had been holding on to.

"Yes, I think we will have a very good time at this ball," I said, smiling around at my best friends.

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Second Author's note: Oh, well, I couldn't get into the full swing of the ball then drop you, could I? Nah, the next chapter will be the rest of the ball. So, I think I should inform you all that I love all of you who read this story so much that I stayed up until three in the morning to finish writing it plus a half-hour to edit it because it's taken me a _very_ long time to post this. Oh right, I probably should say something that I've said before but you might've missed: this isn't stopping at the ball. I know, "If it's called Holiday Ball, then why isn't that the focal point of the story?" well, it sort of is and isn't, because it sets everything that happens over the two week Christmas Holidays in motion. And also, I'm working on a new series! But to avoid my updating issue, I'm making sure I have at least 15-20 updates available before I put it up, and I don't write it constantly so it definitely won't get in the way of this story. So again, my deepest, sincerest apologies, and I hope you liked this. I have off for a few days and I'm going to try to write the next part plus the next chapter over that time, and I hope that'll make up for my tardiness. Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight. :]


	7. The Holiday Ball II

Disclaimer: I don't own a clumsy Hufflepuff, a goofy Gryffindor who is related to a clumsy Hufflepuff, a shy animagus, a bespectacled boy who is deeply in love with his girlfriend, aforementioned boy's girlfriend, or a cute werewolf. But since I have this disclaimer, I can write about them. :D

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The first thing that I noticed after Professor Dumbledore stepped back to join the other staff members was the stillness. There was a complete silence and lack of movement for approximately ten seconds.

Then the scene righted itself: the instruments, which had stopped their classic-sounding music when the headmaster stood to talk, resumed their playing with a faster tune, accompanied with a beat that had at least a quarter of the student body on the dance floor before a minute had passed. Many of the boys younger than my year, who had not been interested in having dates for such an event, found the food immediately, while the older students sat with the group of friends at their table talking or wandered around socializing.

I looked around, taking in all of the people I knew from classes, people I saw often in the Common Room or at meals, even recognizing people I only saw every once in a while in the halls or in the Library. Everyone looked different with their wide array of dress robes and gowns. I noticed that many Slytherins had bypassed the chance to dress up and show off what nice things their parents' money could buy them; however, the maybe half of them that did show were sitting in reserved groups, looking displeased with the company of the other houses as if they didn't expect them to be there. Every few minutes, I noticed, Regulus, Sirius' brother, would look over to us, almost daring my cousin to step out of line so he could write to their mother.

Sirius had left life at his parent's house one night after a huge row during the beginning of the last summer holiday. He had spent a few weeks at James's house until his uncle died and left him a small fortune, with which he bought a flat in London as far from possible from the "Noble House of Black." Since then, Regulus would watch vigilantly for a reason to write to their mother and have her send a Howler. I didn't consider him to be my cousin like Sirius.

"Ignore him, Tonksie," Padfoot said out of the side of his mouth, "He's only trying to provoke us." His statement put me at ease, as well as any worries I had for the Marauders concerning any mischief they were planning for the evening.

I noticed quickly that Moony and his date had disappeared. _Probably went to dance before things go _too_ wild,_ I thought, trying my hardest to shove them from my mind.

I looked down the table and saw James pulling Lily onto her feet. I could see she thought for a moment he was going to lead her to the dance floor, but when he turned in the opposite direction, she figured out he was in search of food. She rolled her eyes in the slightest and smiled at her goofy boyfriend. Lily allowed James to take her hand in his and led him to where he was looking to go. James grabbed Sirius by the collar and dragged him with them, knowing what he was going to ask: "What about me? I want food too."

I laughed at the interesting display. My eyes shifted further down the table from their empty seats and I saw Pete wooing his date. He said something under the thunderous noise of the Hall and she blushed, averting her eyes to her perfectly-manicured hands. This girl, named Olivia, was almost miniature in height. Standing shorter than my happily five-foot three frame, she was slightly plump and curvy for a perfect figure that I was sure Peter admired as much as he admired her personality. Her light green eyes sparkled as she laughed and her hair was held swept-up and straight. She was dressed in a shell pink dress that came down to her calves and skimmed her body. Overall, she was a very pretty girl who seemed nice enough.

I gathered up the skirts of my dress and moved to sit next to her. "I'm going to go get us some food, Liv. I'll be back in just a moment; why don't you talk to Tonks?" Pete said in his best wooing voice. He stood and followed in the direction his friends had just left.

"I'm Olivia," she said in a clear, high voice, holding her hand out to me. "Pete has told me about you, of course. All of you seem to be a very tight-knit group of friends. I hope it doesn't feel like I'm intruding." I grasped her hand gently.

"I'm Tonks, but you can call me Nymph," she had a questioning look on her face. I assumed she was wondering something along the lines of '_Who names their daughter Tonks and how is Nymph a nickname for it?' _I continued, "Tonks is my surname, but I go by that instead of 'Nymphadora,'" I gave a shudder, "but Nymph is obviously a lot more of a girlie name than Tonks, and I thought, 'Why not give in to being girlie?'" She now gave a look of general confusion.

"I'm sorry; I ramble like that quite often. The point of all of that was, I don't normally let people catch on to the fact that I _am_ capable of being girlie, but I thought it wouldn't be that bad of a change, so it might as well start with letting people call me Nymph. So you can call me Nymph. And I'm sure you'll fit right into this insane group. I wish you luck, though, dealing with some of the other boys. You might need it."

"Thank you, Nymph. It's nice to meet all of you—finally- although you're the only person I've met properly. I really don't think the other girl, Lily, likes me," She looked nervous, frankly, talking to me. It might have been because of my bought of nonsense.

"I've heard about you from Peter, too. And… don't worry about Lily," I said in an undertone, "she only just started getting on with Sirius toward the end of last school year; she doesn't mean to be rude, but she becomes…distracted…when she's with James. And she can be quite shy, no matter how loud she can get…."

"Well, I hope you like this, they don't have nearly as much of a variety as normal…" Pete sat back down next to Olivia, and she looked like she was happier he was back than anything.

"I'll leave you two to yourselves," I said with a small but meaningful smile to Olivia. She returned a grateful smile and turned her attention to Peter. I stood from Lily's seat as I saw her, James and Sirius walking back from the direction they had not left in.

"So I was a bit off. It's not like we had to walk across the entire hall. Stop complaining and go eat your food, Sirius," Lily was saying. Sirius mumbled under his breath bitterly and put down the food he had gotten, getting a look of amusement from me as well as James.

"Can you come over there to talk with me real quick?" James said to me, pointing to the nearest small tree decoration. "I'll just be a second," he directed at Lily. She looked outwardly confused, but I knew her well enough to see through it.

"So, what is it?" I asked Prongs, not bothering with small talk.

"Uh, I don't personally think we should be telling you this," he scratched the back of his neck; I noted he used the word '_we'_ instead of '_I_,' "But Lil says that it's in 'best interest for everyone involved' if we do."

"Do I _want_ to know? 'Cause if I don't we can just forget this," I suggested. The awkwardness James must have been feeling was rolling off of him, affecting me as well.

"No, I think you want to know. You might _love_ to know, but I didn't feel like it was our place but…" he took a breath. "We know that you fancy Moony."

If Lily thought it was something I needed to know, I disagreed with her for the first time ever, probably. I could feel red climbing its way up my cheeks, making my embarrassment and anger perfectly visible. "Yes, I know you know that, thanks to Mister Padfoot. Thank you for reminding me," I said, turning to leave.

James grabbed my arm. "No, Tonks, that's not what I meant!" He pulled me back in front of him, ignoring my crossed arms and angry stare. "I'm guessing this part won't make it any better, but I have to, don't I?" he said to himself more than to me. "Well, um… _Moony_ knows that you fancy him," He winced, expecting the worst.

"He _what!"_ I shrieked, my voice sounding shrill enough to hurt my own ears. I was grateful for the roaring noise. I ripped my arm from James's strong grip. "How could any of you..!—What in the _world..!_—What possessed you to think..!—how is it any of his business?" I settled on the last thing that came out of my mouth, because the rest was a jumble of words that hopefully showed James how livid I was. At the same time he was trying to get my attention.

"Tonks…. Tonks, I'm not done—Tonks! Nymphadora!" I gave another shriek, this time without any word form to it, as I heard the last name I wanted to hear.

"What else do you need to tell me, James? What?" He visibly flinched. Not only had I said his name so harshly, but I had called him James instead of Prongs. "Is it that you all told Remus something you had no right to, and that now he's happy with someone he's only with because Lily set them up together, and he's probably laughing at me right now? Is that what's so important? 'Cause I really, _really_ don't need to hear it." Tears were beading up in my eyes. I wondered, honestly, why they were having James tell me this.

"Tonks, no, that's not it." He looked at the wetness in my eyes and looked back at Sirius, Lily, Peter and Olivia at the table. Olivia had no clue what was going on, but the others gave James an encouraging look, which I was sure he'd need if he told me anything else to upset me. They all knew that when dealing with me, one step past fury is violence. "Here, come outside with me. Let's talk in private..."

Or so he said. He didn't want to make me cry in front of everyone, was more likely. Regardless, I followed him out of the Hall, my head held high to prevent the water from slipping out of my eyes as I tried to blink it back in. James opened the oak doors and held one for me. I walked indignantly past him and leaned against the brick wall.

The pouring rain was, like in the Hall, snow now. The night looked beautiful, but it didn't lighten my mood in the least. I turned to James. "Yes?"

"You know, I really shouldn't have told you any of this. Now I have to tell you the rest for fear you'll never talk to any of us again." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can you please just get it over with? I plan on going back to my dormitory after this, if you do not mind."

"Someone else might mind," he muttered under his breath, reminding me of Sirius. "You want this to be quick and painless? Or drawn out and torturous." He was trying to be funny. I guess he didn't realize he had already made it drawn out and torturous.

"Just _tell_ me, Prongs." His eyes softened, like my tone. He sighed.

"This is none of your business, honestly," I glared daggers at him. "Point taken. Well, anyway, let's recap: you fancy Moony. We know this. We told Moony you fancy him," he noticed the murderous look on my face and added quickly in a small, scared voice, "And Moony told us that he fancies you!"

My heart stopped like it had in the library when I overheard Lily talking with Remus. Then it started pounding, and I felt a flush climbing up my face again. "He—he _what?_"

After a minute, I noticed I was gaping and staring at a wall instead of a person. I heard the door close and figured James had left to tell Lily the deed was done.

I shook my head in an attempt to clear my mind. Feeling the chill in the air for the first time, I followed inside.

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"Quick, come sit so they don't think you were involved," Lily said urgently as I walked back into the Hall. I was still in a daze, but I could put two and two together.

"What are they going to do?" I asked skeptically. I hadn't heard any of the boys' plans and I was slightly offended. All those years helping them, and they don't include me when it could be the most fun?

"Fireworks." We sat down.

"Why am I _not_ surprised? Where did they get them, though? Zonko's doesn't sell any," I added, matter-of-factly. Lily looked to where they were presumably hiding, setting up for their display.

"James got them when we were in Diagon Alley right before school," She looked at the several teachers still standing at the top of the hall. "It was a shop called Gambol and Something Wizarding Joke Shop."

"Oh, Gambol and Japes. But wouldn't lighting a match draw attention? They'll get caught before any of them go off." I got a how-incredibly-silly-can-you-be look from her.

"They aren't _that_ easy to catch. They're 'Dr. Filibuster's Famous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,'" They must have had corrected her on the name numerous times; I could tell by her near-mocking tone. She was still glancing around nervously.

"I don't see why you're so worried. This is just typical behavior. Personally, I'd be more worried if they weren't—" I was cut off by a thunderous _boom_.

The ceiling, still pouring snowflakes, was being illuminated by blue, red and yellow lights. The fireworks would give off a loud noise, then light up in a shower of sparks. Olivia became very fascinated; Lily was looked up, doe-eyed, at the show. Hufflepuff yellow shut up in sparks; Ravenclaw and Gryffindor colours exploded into spider-shaped pops of lights. It was like a beautiful Christmas night and a colorful New Year's Eve rolled together to be one.

It was beautiful.

The music was still fast and upbeat, leaving many students dancing like mad under the fireworks. Suddenly, four figures slipped next to us, unnoticed by any authority figures (Note: one of them was a Prefect and one was Head Boy. Clearly, obeying rules doesn't always _apply_ to authority figures). I turned to my right and hit my cousin in the arm.

"How could you _not_ tell me about this!" he knew I was talking about the fireworks. Yet Sirius's eyes took on a gleam that gave my question—and his response—a double-meaning.

"I thought it'd be a nice surprise." He winked.

Jeanette Macdonald, who had been at the table since I re-entered the Hall, was thoroughly amused by the light show. Her date turned to me once Sirius's attention was secured elsewhere.

"Like it?" His whisper was breathy and exhilarated. It gave me goose bumps.

"Yeah," I laughed out, finding glee in simply talking to Remus. He winked like Sirius. I found myself marveling over how best friends could take on the role of brothers, to the extent of acting alike.

"We chose the colours carefully—Red for us, as in Gryffindor, Blue for the Ravenclaws who kindly helped us secure our places in school this year," he winced, remembering an incident from last year involving Sirius, a very bitter Slytherin and a tree, "absolutely no green, and a bit of yellow, for our favorite Hufflepuff." He smiled.

"That's very kind of you… But isn't she supposed to be your favorite Hufflepuff?" I flicked my eyes in the direction of Remus's date.

"She doesn't have to know."

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It felt like an hour had passed, but somehow it was more.

I was sitting alone at our table. Lily and James, Peter and Olivia, and Remus and Jeanette had left to dance. Since I had turned down a dance with him, Sirius had left to see how long it would take him to get a dance partner.

About twenty-two seconds, apparently. A small Gryffindor was happily gliding along with him slowly before half a minute was up, not minding that the music did not match their dancing. Sirius looked content.

I half-laughed, amused.

"Interested in dancing with someone?"

I turned at the vaguely familiar voice and saw Anthony. For the first time since I had walked down the staircase with Lily, I remembered the warning Remus had given me.

And I threw it to the wind.

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Within minutes, I was laughing on the dance floor. Anthony was a funny person, and he danced moderately well.

After a few songs had ended, he declared he would get us something to drink and he led me back to my still-empty table.

"Here we are," he said, handing me a glass filled with red liquid. He sat in Remus's seat, looking at me intensely.

"I'm happy you let me have a dance." He sounded odd; almost out of place. It wasn't as if it was some kind of intimate dancing or slow dancing like Remus had taught me. I agreed anyway.

"Me too."

"It would be great if this was—"

"Excuse me," Anthony was interrupted by a man—boy, I mean—who looked at us with mild contempt. "Would you mind if I took Nymphadora for a dance?" Moony smiled in a friendly manner.

"Nymphadora, huh?" He looked at me with a vaguely amused smile. "Be my guest." Moony took my hand and led me to the dance floor.

I noticed that several groups of students had left already. It was near midnight for sure. The music had slowed, finally, and even some teachers had gotten up to dance with each other.

Remus pulled me close to him and gave me a small smile before leading me into one of the dances he had taught me out in the rain.

"I wish you'd listen to _someone_, if not me," he muttered. It sounded like a sigh. His words were hard to catch.

"What do you mean?" I asked, fully aware that he was talking to me and not himself.

"I asked you not to talk with Anderson," Remus said, almost bitterly, glancing in the direction of our now newly-empty table. "I wish you would just listen to me." He sounded annoyed with me, yet there was an undertone of urgency in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to respect your wishes when you refuse to give me a _reason_, Remus. Besides, I'm a big girl. I think I can handle one boy." I rolled my eyes.

He looked me over and seemed to change his mind about whatever he was so jumpy about. "So," he started, "are you having fun?"

I smiled at the calmer Moony. "Yes, I am indeed. Are you glad you decided to come?"

"I am. But how did you know I _decided _to come?" _Damn_.

I sighed. "Fine. You caught me. I overheard Lily convincing you to come and to ask m—Jeanette to be your date." He didn't catch my slip.

"Wow. That's….That's slightly embarrassing…" I was not surprised that I was able to guess he'd react in a similar manner.

"Don't worry about it. It's not the only conversation I've ever overheard." He looked relieved for a moment. Then he heard the implications of my words.

"What else have you eavesdropped on?" Remus asked, suspicious.

I laughed. "Nothing. I'm just messing with your head," I laughed, letting him take the opportunity to twirl me without protest.

That was when I started to get dizzy.

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"Remus, what did you do?" I could hear Lily's concerned voice, but I couldn't place her. The room was spinning and I was being led somewhere.

"I didn't do anything! She just started…Tilting. Falling. And not like she normally does." There was a key of worry in his voice, and I could picture his expression just fine in my head.

"Someone, just please, help her to her dormitory. I would, but I don't know where it is…" Sirius sound almost helpless as I felt. Almost.

"I couldn't understand what she was using as a password when I was down there this evening." Remus said, Lily agreeing.

"I'll take her." It was harder to place this voice than the others, but I knew after a minute it was Anthony.

"What?" Lily sounded taken aback at this random offer, while Remus shouted.

"No! Not a chance!" He sounded angry now.

"Why not? I know the password and once I get her in the common room I can have one of the girls help me get her to her room, then someone can assist her from there."

"Or you could give _us_ the password and let me take care of her." Remus had a key of protectiveness in his voice. It was a tone I welcomed.

"You'd get kicked out before you could explain what was going on."

"Let him take her for us, Remus." Lily sounded like her mind was made up.

"What? You seriously expect me to let _him-_"

"He's right; we couldn't get her to her common room, nonetheless her dormitory. He can get one of the other Hufflepuff girls to help her from there. It makes more sense than creating a scene and getting nothing done at all."

Moony sighed. "Alright. But if she comes back to us different in any way possible, you _will_ pay for it." It wasn't Remus's voice. It was Sirius.

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The next thing I knew I was being led down a staircase. I heard a familiar password uttered, and I vaguely saw a familiar common room pass by. I didn't recognize the hallway I was brought down next, however. Nor did I remember the door I was led through, with a metal plate reading "7th Year Boys."

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Author's Note: Whoa, I updated. I know: you might hate me for not updating. But you might not, and if you're reading this, I'm hoping it's a "might not." Well, anyway, what Remus mentioned about the Ravenclaws during the fireworks…. I can't remember exactly, so I'm going with, when Sirius tricked Snape into going into the Whomping Willow, they were sixth years and the Marauders nearly got expelled, until a group of Ravenclaw friends of Lily's persuaded the Professors to let the students stay. Also, I had been hoping to get some Snape-drama into this chapter, but that clearly didn't happen. I feel like it was slow at first but rushed towards the end so I'm saving our favorite (or least favorite) Slytherin for next chapter. And I know I said I'd put a specific warning at the beginning of the chapter, but I thought that would ruin it a bit, and if you're reading this, you clicked an "M" rated story of your own accord, not mine. So, in case I didn't make it clear enough in my drugged-up-Tonks POV, there is implied rape. I will not go into detail. I feel like letting you know: I was up all night finishing and editing this chapter because I fear people hate me because of it (I haven't gotten much sleep this summer holiday yet due to this chapter, which has taken me just about forever to write. I'm a bit rusty). Finally, as I just said, I'm a bit rusty at writing, so if this chapter is not up to par with the others, just let me know. I'd rather be told than be allowed to continue with less-than-expected writing. Thank you for putting up with me, you wonderful, wonderful readers:D


	8. Witches Protection Program

Disclaimer: I don't own a clumsy Hufflepuff, a goofy Gryffindor who is related to a clumsy Hufflepuff, a shy animagus, a bespectacled boy who is deeply in love with his girlfriend, aforementioned boy's girlfriend, or a cute werewolf. But since I have this disclaimer, I can write about them. :D

Author's note: Thank you to Fight for the Future, without who's reviews I would not be updating this for a very, very long time again.

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I woke up in darkness. Kind of.

My eyesight was blurry, and I couldn't remember anything that had happened. I was surrounded by something dark. The walls of the small area I was in were black, and bright light slipped in through small cracks. The walls were black bed hangings, I realized, only to figure out that _my_ bed hangings were yellow. It was one minute more before I came to the conclusion that that meant I wasn't in my own bed, nor was I even in my dormitory.

It came as a shock to find out I was completely nude. As my brain and eyes defogged, I saw a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed, and everything from the previous day came back to my memory. I remembered waking up late, dancing outside with Remus… Getting ready for the ball, the fireworks… Everything stood out in a vivid way, up until the end of the ball for me, when I felt the world was spinning in circles.

The clothes at the foot of the bed were the clothes I had exchanged for my dress yesterday evening, which meant that someone had known where I was getting ready yesterday, and where I had really gone after being escorted from the ball. The only problem was, I still didn't exactly know where I was.

_Think, Tonks,_ a voice that sounded strangely like Moony said in my head. _Use the color to help. Your bed hangings are yellow. Lily's are gold and ours are scarlet. Each set of boys' and girls' bedding combine to make their house's colours. So, Tonks, _the voice said as if concluding a lesson, _where would you find black bed hangings?_

"I'm in the boy's dormitory?" I found myself asking out loud. This shocked me, but gave me an unfortunate reason behind my nudity.

I shifted from lying on my back to sitting upright. I immediately regretted it as all the muscles in my back and legs tensed uncomfortably. I did a quick once-over of my arms and saw developing bruises running from my wrists to my shoulders. A small poke proved that they fortunately didn't hurt, but they would be very obvious against my very pale skin soon enough. I grabbed the clothes from the end of the bed and quickly dressed.

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I poked my head out of the bed to find the room cleared of all people. I did the same at the door to the common room, and ran quickly, in yesterday's clothes, to my own dormitory to see that that room, too, was empty. The hangings were drawn tightly around my bed, and on it there was a box containing my dress and all of the things I had left in the bathroom. I checked my watch and saw it was half past eleven in the morning. _That explains why no one is down here,_ I told myself. Lunch was going on now, and anyone who wasn't in the Great Hall would be in the library getting their work done or outside, depending on how the weather had turned. I wondered vaguely if a lot of snow had fallen.

Upon thinking of the snow I remembered another event of the previous night. Probably the happiest part of the night; Prongs made me feel ridiculed, then told me something I still couldn't believe..

I dressed in long sleeves and jeans, covering my bruises. I noticed how out of it I felt. It was as if I was seeing what I was doing from someone else's perspective. I was no doubt in shock. I became concerned of what would happen once my mind came to the realization of what had happened, had actually happened.

I shrugged that thought off and decided I would deal with it when it came. I made sure I had my wand with me and left the dormitory and common room, humming to myself a tune I had never heard before.

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"Tonks!" Lily exclaimed when I walked to the Gryffindor table. "Where have you been?" She sounded so worried; I was considering keeping the secret to myself.

_You know better than that,_ the voice that sounded like Moony had returned, _you have to tell at _least _Lily. She'll be able to help you Tonks. _

_Fine,_ a voice that sounded like my own responded reluctantly.

"I'll talk to you later about it, okay?" She looked so concerned. Lily reminded me of a mother hen. "It's kind of shocking, actually," I said, and put some lunch onto my plate.

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"Alright, now tell me what's going on," Lily insisted. We were in the library; we had left lunch last, by ourselves, after the boys had decided to sneak down to the kitchens to get supplies for a Christmas Eve party that evening.

I looked around to ensure we were alone. "Tell me exactly what happened last night first?"

Lily sighed, recollecting. "Starting from the end of the night, you had been dancing with Remus. And you just kind of nearly…collapsed." I nodded my head, aware of what she was speaking of. "And then we were trying to figure out what to do. Anthony came over and told us he'd take to down to your common room and get help from one of the Hufflepuff girls there. Remus tried to refuse, I agreed with Anderson, and Sirius threatened him. Then he left with you."

I nodded once more, some of the gaps filling up in my head. I explained to Lily where I had woken up and why.

"What?" Lily's face was awestricken; her eyes were doe-wide and her jaw remained dropped a fraction of a centimeter. "That's insane. Are you sure you weren't just…imagining things?"

I didn't want her to be afraid. She was my best friend, after all. That was why I was telling her, though. "Yeah, I'm sure." I pulled up my sleeve to show her the bruises up my arm. Her mouth formed an "O."

"You've got to tell someone, Tonks. This is really serious."

"I already did tell someone."

She looked relieved. "Oh thank goodness. Who did you tell? Sprout? I bet she set him straight…"

I felt guilty. "No, I told you." I gave a weak smile. Lily's look became stern.

"I meant someone who can help you. Why aren't you freaking out? Something like this happened to a girl I used to go to school with back home and she hasn't been the same since." I wondered the same thing, to be honest.

"I guess I'm just…you know, in shock. I don't really want to deal with what will happen when I get the full blow." Lily nodded.

"Just promise to tell someone. And we need to tell the boys." Now my eyes widened.

"Are you kidding? Remus would have an aneurism, Peter would be so embarrassed by the topic he'd faint, and Sirius would get carted off to Azkaban if he got to him! Not to mention, James would take part in anything Sirius deals out. No. I will not tell them."

Lily glared a little. "Then I'm telling Dumbledore."

"No!" I sighed. "I'll agree to talk to… McGonagall. I'll speak to her, with you, but not Dumbledore." She probably didn't do it on purpose, but Lily's chin raised a degree triumphantly.

"Come on, then."

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"Professor?" Lily said, opening McGonagall's door a crack.

"Come in, Miss Evans," she said, looking up from a piece of parchment in her hands.

"We need to speak to you about something very…serious," she decided on the word carefully.

"Very well, take a seat," the Professor told the two of us, putting down the parchment and removing her glasses.

Lily looked at me encouragingly. "Well, err…You see, Professor, last night at the ball, I became ill and my friends were trying to figure out how to get me to my dormitory and….someone volunteered to bring me down to the common room where he would get help from a girl for me there," she nodded, understanding right away why I was acting so nervous about the situation. I wondered if it had happened before.

"I can assume what happened, Nymphadora, but could you please clarify?" The aging woman had a sympathetic glint in her eyes.

"I don't remember exactly, but I woke up in the boy's dormitory, covered in bruises, nude." Another nod.

"How were you led down to that dormitory?" She inquired.

"I think she was drugged," Lily interjected.

"It sounds likely, actually. He got me something to drink, and that was right before I got dizzy…Then a Confundus Charm would have caused all of the confusion I had…" Professor McGonagall looked concerned but slightly confused.

"Who is the boy?" It wasn't a question, so much as a command to be informed.

"Anthony Anderson, seventh year Hufflepuff." Lily nearly shouted, before I got a chance to speak. McGonagall furrowed her brow at Lily's outburst.

"I could tell that boy was trouble since his first year," she said, mainly to herself. "I will speak to Pomona about this, and she will decide on his consequence. However, I fear it is not safe for you to be left alone in that boy's presence, Nymphadora."

I nodded. I felt exactly the same.

"Now, it is my understanding that there are no spells or charms in the Hufflepuff common room to keep boys out of the girls' dormitories, or vice-versa," she said. "So I will speak to Professor Dumbledore and ask if I could permit you to stay in the Gryffindor girl's dormitory, with Miss Evans, until it is safe for you in your own house common room."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief. I did so, too.

"Professor, I personally worry about Tonks' everyday activities. She could be in the hall by herself and he could drag her off against her will." Lily shuddered.

"Then I will ask you if you could make sure Nymphadora is always in someone's company. If at all possible, you should be with her. If it is not possible, and I cannot believe I am saying this, Misters Potter, Black, Lupin or Pettigrew would be wonderful to be around. I understand they are very close to you, Miss Tonks." I blushed a bit and nodded. "They would do better than anyone I could think of to keep you safe as possible."

Lily and I nodded.

"If that is all ladies, I need to speak to Professors Dumbledore and Sprout." She stood, Lily and I following suit. The two of us were half way out the door when I stopped.

"Uh, wait. Professor?" She had picked up her glasses again and was about to leave the office as well.

"Yes, Nymphadora?"

"Thank you."

She nodded and I thought I saw a small smile cross her normally tight-lipped mouth.

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"Password?"

"Moon frog." The portrait hole swung open and Lily thanked the Fat Lady. As I was about the step in, she shouted.

"Gryffindors **only**," she said sternly.

"Professor McGonagall permits her to be in the common room," Lily stated matter-of-factly. The Fat Lady reluctantly let me in.

Lily showed me around the empty common room. We spoke in a business-like manner and I felt like reality was finally sinking in. Professor McGonagall had sent me and Lily down to the Hospital wing before visiting Gryffindor tower, insisting on me being checked out, and assuring that my belongings would be in the seventh year girls' dormitory by the time we returned. I was fine, it turned out, but I was no longer feeling that way.

"Well, look whose here," someone said in a mischievous tone from the bottom of the boy's staircase. I turned to see Remus, Sirius, James and Peter and immediately felt better.

"Guys, Tonks is going to be staying with the Gryffindors for a while," Lily stated, respecting my wish for them to remain uninformed of last night's events, for the time being.

"Did the Professors get together and decide you're a Gryffindor after all?" Sirius said with a grin on his face. "I always thought you and me belonged in the same house. Rebel Blacks, and all; being Sorted elsewhere than Slytherin." I laughed.

"No, it's only temporary." My cousin was excellent at distracting me, even when he wasn't doing it on purpose.

"Well, that fact isn't important, because our party is tonight," James said with a cheeky grin. I smiled back; at least my mind would be occupied until the end of the day.

After a few minutes sitting with Sirius, Peter and Remus and I, James and Lily left to be alone together.

"Young love. How sweet," I said, earning a few chuckles.

"So, why exactly are you going to be staying here, Tonks?" Peter asked.

"I guess you could say I'm in the Witches Protection Program," I joked.

"What did you see? I bet it was Snivellus. He probably wrung all the grease out of his hair and drowned someone and you saw. Am I right?" Sirius said, feigning a belief that he was actually right. We all laughed.

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Author's note: I cut this one short because I wanted to get it up tonight. I couldn't sleep due to a headache so I figured I'd do something enjoyable in the meantime, such as finishing this chapter I started writing nearly three months ago. I got in some Snape mocking, even though we didn't see him this chapter; he will most probably be in the next. Also, please review? I only got a handful of reviews for the last chapter which severely deterred me from continuing for a while. One last thing: I'm so sorry I didn't post the entire summer holiday. I had several health issues that did not grant me the time to think enough to plot and write out a chapter. I hope to get another chapter soon. Reviews make my day and keep me actively writing:] Hope you enjoyed.


	9. When You're Ready

A/N: I don't own a clumsy Hufflepuff, a goofy Gryffindor who is related to a clumsy Hufflepuff, a shy animagus, a bespectacled boy who is deeply in love with his girlfriend, aforementioned boy's girlfriend, or a cute werewolf. But since I have this disclaimer, I can write about them. :D This chapter is dedicated to **TWHATT18**, without the encouragement of whom this chapter would not come for many more months, if ever. I haven't updated since school started and it's nearly over again, so I hope my writing doesn't disappoint. Enjoy :]

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"I wish you _were_ right, Padfoot. Snivellus is only getting more annoying than ever. I'm happy he didn't stay over the holiday though; he always has too much spare time and does nothing but cause us trouble." Pete was making a face that resembled a more mature and masculine pout.

Sirius looked slightly conflicted. "Yeah, it's great that he isn't around to stink up the place, I guess. But we won't have such an easy time finding something to do without him around. He's always around when we get bored to make a fool of himself," he gave a glazed, reminiscing stare out to the fireplace.

I felt myself growing comfortable. I was keeping my thoughts in the present and blocking out everything from right before I passed out to this morning. I listened to Remus, Sirius and Peter's jocular conversation without input, keeping quiet. They started to argue about what to do for the rest of the day; I let my mind wander off to pleasant thoughts.

"Nymph?"

"Huh?" I mumbled, coming out of a daydream that was centered on Remus, which made me feel slightly awkward when he got my attention.

"These two are going to go out under the beech tree to create more 'plans' for the day and I'm going to go to the library. I have an essay to get done. Would you care to join any of us?" Remus was saying _I'm not going to let you be by yourself no matter how much you kick and scream_ in the most discrete way. If I hadn't been with Lily since I had gone down to lunch I would have suspected she had told him something. I settled for assuming that he knows me well enough to tell what is and isn't normal behavior.

"I'll get some work done in the library, too. Have fun, guys," I said in an accidentally monotonous tone. Sirius gave me a look of concern but quickly changed it to one that said _I'll brush it off for now but don't be surprised if you get interrogated later._

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None of my belongings were in Gryffindor Tower yet, I noticed as I went to get my notes from Herbology.

"Moony, could you come with me to . . ."He nodded before I finished my question and gave me a small smile. Wormtail and Padfoot had left moments earlier and Remus had gathered his schoolbag and some extra ink.

"After you," he said in his charming voice as he opened the portrait hole. I gave him a full smile and a little laugh.

"So, Nymph," Remus said as we were walking down to the Hufflepuff common room, "How are you feeling?"

I froze for a fraction of a moment, my heart stopping and my feet feeling like cement. "I—I'm fine," I said, sounding somewhat like a fish gasping for air on land. He gave me the weirdest look I'd ever seen in my life; weird in a more-concerned-than-he-should-be-considering-he-doesn't-know-everything way.

I stopped in front of the painting, looking down at my feet.

"I don't believe you."

He pushed a piece of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear, then tilted my head up by my chin.

"Dora, you know you can talk to me about anything. In fact I encourage you to talk to me about _everything_. I care about you very much Nymph, and something is clearly wrong. Tell me what's going on in your head." His hand slipped down from my chin and his fingertips touched mine.

I felt a spark of pleasure run up my fingers and into my heart. The spark sent a message to my brain, too, telling me that I need to tell Remus what happened because he honestly cared, and it would make me feel exponentially better. And safer. But for now, I was still terrified of letting anyone know.

I gave a sigh that sounded more depressed than defeated. "I'll tell you about it," I said, keeping my head up and looking into his deep blue eyes, my favorite eyes. "But please, later. I promise I will, I just can't now."

Remus gave a small nod and kept his eyes locked with mine as he wrapped his large hand around mine and indicated the painting. I whispered the password and the doorknob appeared. We walked slowly to my dormitory and I picked up my schoolbag.

Remus still had my hand in his and my heart was racing. We walked like that, hand-in-hand, back up to the entrance hall and slowly up to the library without speaking. He was keeping me very close to him just using my hand, and I felt completely safe for the first time that day.

When we got to the library and put our things at the table in the back, I held my head a little bit higher and looked at Moony. "I have to find a book on herbivorous plants, I'll be right back." I gave a tiny smile.

"You're not going anywhere without me," he said with finality, and held my hand tight as I smiled at him, a genuine, happy, relieved smile that was returned almost identically, except his smile had one cute dimple.

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That night at dinner things seemed quieter than normal, even given that about a quarter of the student body was missing. Lily, James, Peter, Sirius, Remus and I left quickly and returned to Gryffindor tower where James and Sirius hurriedly set up numerous decorations for their party. I sat in a corner, flipping through my Defense Against the Dark Arts notes. A voice in my head that sounded vaguely like Sirius asked me if I would have been able to prevent what had happened last night if I knew more about defensive spells. A voice that sounded more like Moony told me that it wasn't my fault at all; defensive spells wouldn't have done any good after my drink had been screwed with. I internally thanked my Moony-conscience for defending me from my Sirius-conscience.

"You boys are aware that less than half of the Gryffindors are still here, right?" Lily asked James. While most of the brave and courageous students had been there just the night before, many had left in the morning to spend the rest of the Holiday with their families.

"The more fun for those of us who have stayed!" Sirius was levitating a banner and having it hang over a window. It was a Gryffindor lion with a Christmas hat perched perkily on its head.

"I always thought that it was 'the more, the merrier,'" Lily said, giving Sirius an annoyed look. I could guess that it was her duty, as Head Girl, to at least disapprove of unofficial nonsense like house parties—literal house parties, that is: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, any house party.

Peter was transfiguring random objects around the common room to create a festive décor. He made the small candles lit around the room glow red, silver, green, and gold. After that he did a neat little spell that gave the couches and chairs a freshly-snowed upon appearance.

"Lil," James called across the room; he was hanging strings of popcorn from the ceiling. She looked up from the parchment she had been scribbling on. "Could you go see who's here and tell anyone that the Marauders are having a Christmas party of our own?" He said with a little wink. She rolled her eyes, closed her paper into a book and started up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, only to return silently a moment later; she headed up to the girls' dormitories.

"Padfoot," her voice piqued, "You did a general headcount when you came up here last night?" Sirius turned his head and nodded; his banner drooped a meter and he cursed. "About how many people were there?"

His eyes darted back and forth as if recounting people. "No less than thirty, no more than fifty. Why?"

"Because every dormitory, with the exception of the 7th years, is full," Lily had a surprised look on her face that was mimed by James and Sirius.

"I guess we'll be needing more food then," James said, and he and Sirius, who had finally gotten his banner right, bolted out of the portrait hole, leaving Lily looking overwhelmed, Remus chuckling, and me looking over my notes.

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"It's so loud!" Lily yelled to me over the sound of about one-hundred and fifty students chatting loudly over music amplified from a wireless. She had her fingers pressed to her temples. "I'm going to go get something to drink, do you want a—" She stopped mid-sentence when my eyes widened like a scared doe. "It's okay Tonks, I'm not going to let you drift even a decimeter away from my sight tonight." I sighed in relief; I trusted Lily to help me be as careful as possible, even if it wasn't too necessary.

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Two hours later Lily had gone against her word to snog with James in a big chair in a corner of the common room. Sirius had followed their example, grabbing a 6th year who he had been eyeing all night.

I was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories.

It seemed to be an odd place to settle myself, considering my near-paranoia fear that had developed, but I knew who the first person up these stairs would be.

"Oh, Nymph, you startled me," he said. Remus had almost stepped on me, saying something to someone as he closed the door, walking backwards.

"Boo," I said, trying to sound silly, or mocking, or just happy, but it ended up somewhere between depression and monotone.

He sat down next to me and patted the length of stair next to him; I scooted away from the wall and settled myself against him.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" he was half-whispering. His voice was very gentle and full of care and affection.

I shook my head slightly. "I can't" I said, my voice hardly a whisper. "I want to, I want to tell you and talk about it. I do. But I just can't." My words faltered and my voice cracked.

Tears slipped down my face as Remus wrapped his arm around me and held me closer, kissing the top of my head.

"It's okay, Nymph. You don't have to talk about it; don't even make yourself think about it until you're ready." I nodded and wiped away some of the tears that had dripped all the way down my face.

"And Nymph?" I looked up at him. My eyes must have been bright red, but he looked at me the same way he always does. "I'll be right here to listen when you're ready."

He gently wiped the tears from under my eyes with the pad of his thumb. I watched him closely, looking at his eyes. He returned the gaze for a moment, then dropped his eyes to my lips. Remus's ocean blue eyes looked into mine for one second, and then they shut as he kissed me.

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I settled myself into the Gryffindor 7th year girls' dormitory, which was now only occupied by Lily and I.

I went to bed happy that night.

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	10. Christmas

I woke on Christmas morning to bright, natural light for the first time in months. Since the end of the summer the sun had been hiding, slightly if not completely, behind clouds. Now the world was covered in a thick layer of sparkling snow, reflecting the suns light.

I let my eyes adjust, looking around the room and taking in my surroundings. I squinted at the windows, bordered by dark golden velvet curtains. _This isn't my room,_ I thought, panic setting in. _It's happened again._

My heart raced and I gasped for breath. I looked around the room desperately, taking in the dark gold hangings closed around three empty beds, and one bed with the hangings thrown open, the bed occupied by . . . Lily.

I let out a long sigh of relief. I was in Gryffindor tower, in the girls' dormitories, Lily with me. My heart rate returned to normal as I continued to look around. My thoughts wandered as well.

It was Christmas, my mind had realized. I had already known it; in fact it was one of the first fragments of thought to go through my head when I was waking up. But it settled into my brain as fact, and I made an attempt to smile to myself.

Yesterday I had spent the first half of the day with Lily, after waking up extremely late. It occurred to me that I should have been terrified when I woke up yesterday. My heart should have raced as it just did, I should have thrown the covers off of myself and jumped out of the bed, running into the common room screaming. But I didn't. I almost acted like it was a normal way to wake up. I was mad at myself now. I blamed myself for not finding that boy and using an Unforgivable Curse on him as soon as I had woken up.

_But you were in shock, nearly in denial,_ my Moony-conscience reminded me. _Remember Nymph, it wasn't your fault._ I gave another sigh and went back to my recollection of the previous day.

I had told Lily what had happened and she made me tell Professor McGonagall. I could have gone without telling anyone but Lily, but I suppose she had been right. I was never going to feel save when I was alone if nothing was done about what had happened.

Lily had gone up to Gryffindor tower with me, where we spent time with our Marauders in the common room alone. She had left with James; I remembered him standing up and turning to face her, kneeling down so he was at eye level with her and saying, "If it is not too much to ask, my dear, would you join me on a stroll around the castle to grace me with your presence?" He was cheesy, but I know he made Lily's heart flutter the way Remus did to me. The difference is that James does it on purpose, I suppose, and Remus doesn't mean to affect me so.

I had gone to the library with Moony . . . no, that wasn't what happened next. He had asked me if I would rather go to the library with him or go with Sirius and Pete . . . I couldn't remember what he had said they were going to do. I agreed to go with Remus, and he had gone with me down to the Hufflepuff common room when I realized that I didn't have any of my belongings up in the Tower yet. He had asked me to tell him what was wrong, I had promised I would, and he had held my hand. My skin tingled when I remembered how he had gently swept the hair out of my face and tilted my chin. Had I been in a right state of mind I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from snogging him then and there. I had been upset though, trying to clear my mind of the nasty thoughts that plagued me when Remus asked what was wrong.

He held my hand for a long time. We spent hours, it felt like, in the library, quietly. Every few minutes I would look up from the book I had pulled from the shelf and stare at him. Several times he caught me looking and I would smile, blush, and look back down as he chuckled. More than once, though, I told myself that it meant that he was looking at me, too.

After dinner we had all returned to the common room where the Marauders held a Christmas Eve party that was larger than they had intended. Lily promised to keep by my side and held to her word until the crowd had started to settle and she got cozy with James. I decided that the volume of people alone was making me uncomfortable and went through the door of the boy's dormitories. I considered walking up to the 7th year's, but sat on the bottom step instead, where Remus had found me, and as I cried, held me, and kissed me.

I sat up in bed and looked at Lily, still asleep. I stretched myself, noticing that a lot of the soreness I had woken up with yesterday had faded, but the opposite had happened to the bruises. I got out of the bed, grabbed clothes and headed for the bathroom. I showered quickly and decided while looking in the mirror that I really should do something with my hair, for Christmas if not for the sake of normality. It had been a depressing brown for over a day. I guess it might have been considered pretty hair to some, but it was too plain for me. I closed my eyes tight and concentrated, opening them to see bright red curly hair. My mood improved just a little.

I put on my jumper and jeans and checking that my wand was safely tucked into my back pocked, headed down the stairs. In the common room there were scattered piles of wrapped packages, though not nearly enough for all the students who had been celebrating last night. I came to the conclusion that many had stayed for a legendary Marauder party, then left for home bright and early the next morning.

I found the book I had taken with me from the library yesterday sitting on a table in a corner. I picked it up and strolled to one of the huge, squashy armchairs that were in front of the fire, which was burning high and hot.

I sat with my knees curled up to my chest and read through a few chapters. I learned how some plants were able to consume other plants instead of feeding themselves using photosynthesis. I was rather caught up in the book when I hear a door slam shut.

"'Morning, Tonksie. Happy Christmas!" Sirius looked marry and desperately drowsy. He had definitely _not_ been the first one up to bed last night. He walked over to a very small stack of presents and picked it up.

"Dear Uncle Alphard's House-Elf never forgets me on holidays, and I never forget him." He gave a smile and I laughed quietly at Sirius's affection toward a House-Elf when he hated the one his mother and father owned with every fiber of his being. "And Mister and Missus Potter, of course. They're like parents to me. I never forget them either," His smile was accompanied by a wink.

I watched Sirius open his presents, and he displayed genuine pleasure and appreciation with each package opened.

"Why don't you open your presents, Tonks?" he pointed to a stack next to the spot that his presents had occupied not long before.

"I think I will later," I said with a small smile. I looked around the common room and took in how subtly festive it was.

"I like your hair, by the way," He said with a doggish grin.

"It's for the holiday. I like it too," I grinned back.

Peter walked out into the common room during the exchange, yawning widely and loudly. "Happy Christmas," He said, and I detected the same drowsiness that I had observed in Sirius.

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I watched Padfoot and Wormtail play approximately two and a half games of Wizard Chess with the new set Peter had gotten from his grandmother. Sirius had brutally slain Peter twice in a row, but midway through the third game it seemed that Wormtail might redeem himself.

I looked past Peter's shoulder and saw Lily closing the door to the girls' dormitories quietly. She turned, and her eyes widened ever so slightly as she saw the three of us up and active. "Happy Christmas everyone!" she said, smiling widely. We returned the greeting as Lily walked across the common room and parted the curtains covering one of the windows. "It's beautiful out. Had any of you noticed it snowed again last night?" She paused, her expression thoughtful. "I think I'll go see if I can wake James." She had a Marauder-worthy glint of mischief in her eyes as she walked light-footed to the door.

Minutes later she returned with James, his arm wrapped around her waist and using the other hand to hold hers. They sat isolated and I saw James kiss Lily on the cheek several times and she rested her head on his shoulder. All of their normal cutie-couple things. It would be a very happy Christmas together for them, I supposed.

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"Tonks?" Sirius caught my attention while I was letting my mind wander.

"Hmm?"

"I can't help but notice that we're a complete party here, except for our dear friend Mister Moony. I would love to go wake him up gently—" his face and tone both told me that by gently, he meant by yelling, or _Levicorpus_, more likely, "But around here, we have a small tradition." He turned slightly from the chess board and faced me squarely. "On every weekend and Holiday, the goal is to _not_ be the last one awake, because we take turns deciding the retribution for the person stalling the start of the day. And I guess since it's supposed to be Moony's turn, you should have the honor."

I gave a short laugh. "What in the world is the point of that?" Peter shrugged, looking down at his game pieces, contemplating his next move.

"Why do you girls always think there is a reason to everything? Have you never heard of 'for the hell of it!'?" Padfoot said in his best exasperated voice.

"Okay, fine, I'll partake in your _tradition."_ I said the word mockingly. "Don't expect it to get any fun out of it though, I'm only going to wake him up, because that's the _mature adult I am._" Sirius broke into a fit of hysterical laughter.

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"Hey, Moony," I whispered, nudging Remus ever so slightly with two fingers. I was standing about a meter away. I felt like I was waking a bear, or some activity similarly dangerous.

"Moony," still whispering. I poked him harder and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Moony," my volume increased to a normal _indoor_ voice and I pushed Remus's shoulder with my whole hand, a moderate force behind it. For a second I thought he was waking up, but he just opened his mouth in a half-yawn-half-sigh and rolled onto his back. _Sirius wants me to get into trouble with him, doesn't he_, I thought bitterly, faintly starting to fear that I'd have to do something that Remus would expect from the boys, but not me. I don't know why, but it was kind of like Moony had higher expectations for my behavior. Or at least towards him.

I started poking him in the side, and all he did was twitch a little as it tickled instead of bothered him. I gave out a sigh of exasperation and said louder than I intended, "Moony, wake up!"

Still nothing. _Fine, then,_ I thought. I got up and strolled casually toward the door. On the way I stopped at one of the boys' beds and picked up one of the large, stuffed-full pillows that lay at the head.

"This is your last chance to surrender, Moony," I said loudly, in a persuasive tone, stalking slowly back to his four-poster. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, it's up to you." Dead silence.

I rolled my eyes and lifted the pillow high over my head (although compared to all of the boys and even Lily it wasn't that high. I'm just plain short compared to them). I brought the pillow down across his chest with a sound _thump_ of feathers. "_Remus!_" I yelled simultaneously.

"Bloody—!" He sprung into a sitting position, looking severely confused. After a brief glance around the room his eyes settled on me. "Nymph, what are you doing?" He sounded desperately tired.

"Sirius sent me up to wake you;" I said the name with slight contempt, "he said it was your turn to wake the last one up but since you were the last one blah blah blah." I explained as concisely as possible, but I couldn't take it seriously enough to give a real explanation, and Remus's face only contorted more in confusion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said shortly, his sapphire eyes clouded over with sleep.

"But he . . . ? Remus, can you please help me with something?" I sat back down on the bed and rubbed my hand up and down Moony's back in a soothing way, trying at the same time to help him wake more fully and to reverse any cruel impressions I had put into his sleepy brain.

"'Course I can Nymph." He looked at me pleasantly.

"Would you mind spending this lovely morning helping me murder Sirius?" He gave a short laugh. His eyes were clearing up and he was looking more alert.

"I would never give up the opportunity," he said jocularly, "But can you please explain to me why?"

"He told me that you four have a little game or tradition or whatever one would like to call it, where the person who sleeps in longest on holidays has to 'face repercussions' by being woken however unpleasantly by one of the others. Sirius said it was your turn to wake the last one up, but since you were the one sleeping I should do it." Bitter tones bordering on cold were heard in my voice. Sirius was seriously annoying when he tricked me.

"Well, I'm sorry I hadn't been there to see how easily you believed him." My jaw dropped and I gave a disbelieving glare. "I'm kidding Nymph. But I'll see what I can do to help make the kill quick and clean." He gave me a wink.

I laughed, but it was nothing like the half-hearted or small laughs I had been making recently. It was a full laugh. I could feel it bubble in my stomach, crawl up my throat and jump out of my mouth. Remus smiled at it, and I laughed more.

He chuckled at my laughter, and soon we were laughing endlessly, for hardly any reason at all.

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We were all eating breakfast down in the Great Hall. Yesterday, after I had seen it so thoroughly decorated for the ball, I had thought of it as vaguely plain. But now that I looked around, the Hall covered with strings of holly and spotted with evergreen trees that had metallic and sparkly ornaments dangling, I decided that it was much better described as simply elegant. The candles that floated midway between the tables and the ceiling/sky every day of the year, the pillars that were spaced around the room and the seasonal decorations made it whisper unintentional beauty. I guess I might have just appreciated the look of the Hall. Or maybe I was going crazy, occupying my mind so fully with trivial things.

"_Tonks_," Prongs said, sounding like he was growing irritated.

"What?" I pulled out of my ranting thoughts like one would wake up from a bad dream; I jumped and shouted, looking around to see what was going on.

"I asked you to pass the pumpkin juice nearly twelve times!" He said, aggravated that I had apparently blocked him out _completely. _I muttered an apology and handed him the jug.

"Don't exaggerate so much," Lily said quietly to James, taping the back of his hand sitting on the table and then twining it with hers. "You might have said it _twice_." She gave a laugh at his defeated expression.

"Sorry, Lil. I guess I'm just a bit tired from last night. Cranky. Sorry, Tonks." He gave a small, sweet smile to her and then turned it to me with apologetic, fluttering eyes.

"Don't worry, it was just as well. I really zoned out there," I said, noticing that quite a lot of things, albeit small things, had changed since I was last engaged in conversation with everyone. "I must be a little tired too," I said bland and quietly, covering my mouth as I yawned a little and rubbed a bit of sleep out of my left eye.

There were approximately twenty other kids in the Hall, and maybe double or more left at Hogwarts in total, given those who had already left from breakfast and those who hadn't gotten up yet. The six of us were sitting towards the back of the Hall. Sirius, at my left, was eating quickly, hardly taking time to exhale, let alone take part in conversation. James was across from me, stroking the back of Lily's hand with him thumb while asking Pete about Olivia and if she had stayed after the Ball and how it had been and if he thought she considered herself his girlfriend or not. Basic gossip. And _boys_ always blame _girls_ for gossip. As if.

Lily was absently poking at her food, clearly done eating but wanting to keep herself busy. She was asking questions and talking briefly with everyone and she was in a perfectly pleasant mood. She had a hushed conversation with Moony, across from her and to my right, at one point. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at such a thing as whispering secrets. If Lily's boyfriend hadn't been sitting right next to her, holding her hand and basically gossiping away (in the most manly way possible), it wouldn't seem as ridiculous as it did to me then. I just didn't see the need to whisper, though I knew that Lily was closer to Remus than Pete or Sirius, and if she needed to talk to talk to a boy, but it wasn't something James would understand, or it was _about_ James, she'd go to Moony. It made sense at the same time to me. Contradictions happen a lot in my mind, I'd started to notice.

I yawned again, loudly. I had finished eating and was sitting with my hands folded in my lap, tapping my thumbs against each other and wondering vaguely in a silly corner of my mind if it was possible to hold a thumb war against myself. Then I realized that it wasn't even possible to lock your own hands together like that, and I felt a little stupid. I picked at my nails instead of tapping my thumbs.

I wouldn't say I was bored, exactly. I was content, sitting quietly and listening to everyone talking. I was sincerely interested about the topic of Wormtail and Olivia. Watching Sirius eat reminded me of a stray dog I had seen when I was eating lunch in front of my house as a little girl, and I had given it half of my sandwich. Thinking about it, I remembered the dog being big with shaggy black hair, too. I chortled to myself thinking of how accurately Sirius's Animagus form reflected his habits.

I listened to Lily's small conversations with some interest. Her debates and other forms of intelligent conversation with Moony were the most entertaining, though. Especially when they disagreed on a topic, because they both had a similar tendency to stick to their opinions and refusal to sway in their argument. They could easily be considered headstrong.

I stood from the table and shook my head a little, throwing my hair from my face. I didn't normally go for unruly hair, but it hadn't occurred to me that it would be a bit of a hassle before I had my mind set. "Where are you going?" Lily asked with sudden volume. I was momentarily taken aback.

"Just on a walk. I'm getting a little restless," I said, stretching my arms out some.

"Sounds brilliant!" She said, jumping up as well. "Anyone want to join us?"

Moony looked at me for a second then spoke to Lily: "I'd like to settle this debate," He said, speaking of the conversation/argument about whether the Statute of Secrecy was too strict or not. "I'll join."

"Lovely," she said, and started we started to walk up the hall to the double doors that were wide-open, Remus behind us two paces.

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We were in the Gryffindor common room. "It's so beautiful out today, but it'll be really cold," Lily said. We had decided that a short walk out on the sunny, snowy grounds would be acceptable. Lily suggested heavy cloaks and we ran up to her dormitory, Remus shaking his head at her slight-bossiness as he went his own way.

"What was that about down there?" I asked her while she was shifting things around in her trunk.

"What was what?" She gave me her doe-eyed confused look as she pulled out her heaviest winter coat.

"I mean down in the Hall," I was whispering, regardless of the fact that we were alone. "Why did you act so strange?"

Her expression sobered and she opened her mouth to talk, then pursed her lips. I pulled a faux-fur lined winter jacket from my trunk; I had gone shopping in Muggle London with my mum before the school year started, and insisted that I wanted the jacket instead of a winter cloak. It was bright red on the outside and black on the inside. It matched my hair.

"Tonks, honestly, how are you not worried?" it was less of a question than a statement of surprise. "I don't know if _that boy_ is still here or not, and I refuse to let you go wandering around on your own, especially since I'm the only one who knows what happened!" her voice took on a motherly tone that I appreciated.

"Wow," I said blandly, "I don't know why I assumed he wouldn't be here anymore . . ." Lily nodded in understanding. I still wasn't thinking straight, exactly, and I tried not to think about _him_ much.

We fished scarves and mittens from our trunks as well, and Lily hooked her arm through mine as we left the dormitory.

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"I like your jacket," Remus laughed. "Matches your hair."

"I noticed that, actually," I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed along. He and Lily had settled their argument by saying that there was no way to fairly judge who was right, considering that her whole family and life outside of Hogwarts was in the Muggle world and it was difficult and strange for her to keep most of her life a secret, while most of Moony's life remained in the Wizarding world and he simply isn't able to understand exactly how it feels to have a practically secret life outside of the life you were born and raised into.

"Merlin, it's cold out," Lily said, breathing into her mittened hands. Not a minute later one of the great big oak doors opened.

"Hey guys!" Prongs shouted. "It's got to be ten below out here! Come inside!" I could see hesitation in Lily. Had it not been for me I'm sure she and Moony would have bolted for the door though.

I felt bad, I really did, about the guilty look that swept across her face when she was considering her options of going inside where it was nice and warm, and sitting by the fire with her boyfriend and his friends in the peaceful common room, or staying out here with me, watching me like hawk while seeing the beautiful winter landscape of Hogwarts school. "Go ahead," I said, brushing it off. I was in an okay-enough state to be by myself and feel safe and not freak out. "You too," I said, turning to Moony.

Lily looked back at James, then back at me. "Tonks, are you—"

"I'm positive," I said with a brief nod of the head.

"Don't worry, Lil," Moony said. "I'll be staying out here too." He looked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"No, you won't be. It's too cold, go inside." He raised an eyebrow now.

"If that's the case, then you have to come inside with us," he said sternly. I knew we could have gone back and forth like that forever, but I didn't think it was worth arguing over. I was about to agree to going inside, but then it occurred to me that I really didn't _want_ to go inside.

"Fine," I said, looking him squarely in the eye with as much dignity as I can manage considering I'm hardly the height of his shoulder, "I hope you're enjoying the snow then."

He laughed shortly and said goodbye to Lily. I told her I'd see her up in the Tower as soon as we decided to go inside.

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"So, Nymph," Remus began. We were walking circles around the lake, occasionally wandering around without a rhyme or reason, but always going back to the freezing lake.

"Moony."

He gave a humorous sigh. "Why do you insist on calling me Moony when Lily refuses to?" She considered it rude to call him Moony because of his furry little problem.

"Why do you insist on calling me Nymph?" I countered.

"Because Nymphadora is your given name, and I'm aware that you hate it. I use a nickname. It's not as if I go around calling you 'Nymphadora' all day. You don't even look like a Nymphadora."

"What do I look like then?" I asked. Personally I thought I looked like a "Tonks."

"You look like a Nymph. But my point is, _Nymph_," I didn't repress my eye roll, "I call you by your given name, but you insist that I refer to you by your preferred nickname. Quite contrarily, you call me by a nickname when I'd quite prefer if you called me by my given name." By this point I had removed my mittens. The wool was making my hands itch.

"So let's make a truce," I said. "I'll stop calling you Moony, and I'll call you Remus. And you'll call me Tonks instead of Nymph." He laughed.

"I don't think that's how it's going to work," he said in an in-charge voice. "How about you call me Remus and I call you Nymph."

I made a noise of mock-shock. "That only benefits you, Remus!" he chuckled loudly.

"You just called me Remus of your own accord Nymph." I glared at him. "You'll get used to it." He winked. He always winked. "And you called me that this morning when you woke me up, too," he said matter-of-factly.

"I guess you only answer to Moony when it's one of your _pals,_" I said, my voice full of laughter.

"I guess you can say that. Nymph." He was really trying to aggravate me now, wasn't he?

I sighed. He sighed. We walked in silence for a moment, around the lake. I watched the relatively still water. A large, warm hand closed around mine.

I looked back at Moony—Remus—and he was smirking at me. Or maybe it was a smile. I'll just say he was smir-ling at me. As if that's a real word. As if I cared whether it was a word or not. Remus was holding my hand for the second time. Of his own accord. On purpose.

I smiled back, feeling slightly breathless. We walked in silence for a short while again. Without really deciding out loud, we walked back up to the castle and stood on the steps for a minute.

"Nymph?" His quiet, make-Tonks-swoon-more-than-usual voice.

"Hmm?" I cocked my head a bit and looked up at him.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" He was still speaking quietly, but more gently.

I thought for a moment, opening my mouth to speak more than once, but having trouble finding words to form a complete thought. "Not yet," I managed. My heart had started racing and I was feeling a little dizzy. "Soon." I took a deep breath and tore my eyes away from his. They were the same color as his shirt, I noticed, looking straight at him, but at my eye-level.

"Okay." He bent and kissed my forehead. He let go of my hand, and I felt momentarily disappointed that he had, until he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. "Let's go in and get warm."

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We got back to the common room and Lily and James were asleep on a loveseat together. Lily looked peaceful and James had a look of joy on his face. _Married within three years,_ I made a bet with myself about the two.

Sirius and Peter had resumed their chess-playing. By the frustrated look on Padfoot's face I assumed that Pete had beaten him at least once and was on the way to beating him again and tying their game record for the day.

Remus took a book from his schoolbag on one of the tables and we sat down on one of the couches, reading together. I had my head resting against his chest and he had his arm around me. After a while I felt warm all the way through, and I could feel Remus had warmed up too. "Hey, Nymph," He said quietly, getting my attention while avoiding waking James and Lily or disrupting Peter and Sirius. I looked up. "Happy Christmas," he said.

He had made me forget that it was a holiday. "Happy Christmas," I whispered back.

He kissed me. We continued to read.

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	11. Bubbles

Christmas night I rummaged through my trunk distractedly, thinking the day over. I thought about how grown-up Moony was for a seventeen year old boy, and how he had been acting toward me. My stomach flipped.

That afternoon we had gone down for lunch late: Lily and James had been asleep, Sirius and Pete playing Wizard's chess (and taking the game very seriously) and Remus and I had been reading together (read: cuddling). My heart fluttered when I considered it in that light.

"We missed lunch?" Sirius said incredulously when we entered the Great Hall to find it empty of students and professors as well as food. "Someone tell me I'm dreaming. Tell me we didn't miss lunch." He held his stomach theatrically.

"Padfoot, I think we missed lunch," James said in a stage-whisper. "I don't know if we'll make it, mate! I don't know if we'll last until dinner!" It wouldn't be Christmas without good-spirited dramatics.

"We'll have to, there's no choice. We have to make it!" Sirius and James were grabbing each other by the shoulders and pretending to sob.

I glanced at Lily. She was clearly amused, though I couldn't tell if it was by their act, or by the way they were acting. I turned to see if Moony or Wormtail would join in the theatrics and found they weren't there.

"Am I losing my mind?" I asked Lily, laughing. "Where did they go?"

"Tonks, you've known them for years. We've missed lunch. Where do you think they would go?" She laughed and pointed to the door leading to the Hufflepuff Common Room and the kitchen. "I guess they decided to save time instead of putting on a little show," Lily winked at James. I couldn't tell if he saw, and I'm not entirely sure if she knew either. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved, I'm going to go give them an extra set of hands."

Lily walked past Padfoot and Prongs, her red hair swinging with her steps in the ponytail it was pulled back in. James followed her with his eyes and then with his feet. Sirius looked at me and shrugged. "The more the merrier," he said, and went for the closing door. I followed.

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"Thank you very much Flora," I said. She was a very small House-Elf: one of the few that accepted the amount of freedom they had at Hogwarts; she wore a tiny apron with a pink flower stitched on the chest. She was levitating the many trays of food that the boys had gathered up the staircases, walking up to Gryffindor tower with us. "You didn't have to do so much; we could have handled it."

"Is no problem at all, Miss Nymphy-dora!" the elf squeaked. "Flora likes to give students a hand! Especially Gryffindors; Flora's old Master was a Gryffindor himself! He had very much pride for the house!" I wasn't a Gryffindor, but she was still my favorite of all the House-Elves I'd met. Many were upbeat and happy, like she was, but they were hard workers: they hated students distracting them or getting in their way. There were also others who liked when students snuck into the kitchen, yearning for a command from a master. And there were ones who had trouble coping with not having the usual harsh life of House-Elves, who would sit in the kitchens and cry when they were not doing work. Flora was pleasant; she would talk to anyone who would be willing to, elves, adults and children alike. She loved to help people, a characteristic that probably came from her House-Elf genes: instead of wanting to serve, she desired to help. She was a bubbly little elf, and I had seen her on many occasions, working furiously in the kitchens, finishing her work in no time at all and assisting others.

"Well then, thank you very much, you're a great help," Lily told her. She, too, liked Flora. The boys, knowing the circumstances of house-elves employed at Hogwarts but not completely used to the polite treatment, or polite Elves, for that matter, strayed behind us three, no speaking but for occasional whispers.

"Flora loves to help Miss," The elf squeaked as the Fat Lady swung open to the common room.

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We ate lunch quickly by the fire, and then the six of us went up to the dorms and gathered warm clothes, then headed outside.

"Lil, are you _sure_ Muggles do this?" James asked as he tried to roll snowballs.

"They do, Prongs!" Sirius shouted excitedly. "I read it in Muggle Studies. It's quite a tradition to make people out of snow."

He gave a questioning look then shrugged and continued to pack the snow into balls.

Sirius helped Lily roll the base of the snow man—a big chunk of frozen water, about three feet in diameter. I practiced my transfiguration skills while Peter rolled the middle of the snow man and Remus rolled the head. When I had gotten the top hat stark-black (much like Snivellus's eyes, Sirius had said) and the scarf scarlet red and canary yellow, I dressed the snowman and stood back admiringly as Lily placed small stones down its stomach for buttons and on its face for a mouth and eyes. James pulled out a carrot and stuck it in place of its nose.

"I think it's amazing," I said astonished. I never expected it to actually _work_. I'd made snowballs before, of course, but I'd never made a snow_man._

"The things Muggles think of," Remus said.

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The rest of the day passed in a blur, full of holiday cheer. After dinner, we sat in the Great Hall. The boys were arguing over Quidditch plays and Lily and I were trying to master Wizard's chess with Peter's old set.

"You know, since no one's here, practically, you could use to Prefect's bathroom if you want to relax a little," she said. "I know that the bathrooms in the Common Room are enough to accommodate, but they're no-where near as pleasant."

I nodded, thinking over what she said. It sounded perfect, in truth. A little time by myself to get my thoughts together.

When we finished our game (Lily won by a landslide—she had gotten much farther in her chess training than I) and Lily settled into hushed conversation with Prongs, I snuck away up to the Gryffindor Common Room. I told the Fat Lady the password. By now, she had grown used to me and I supposed she considered me friendly, and smiled as she swung forward. I ran up the staircase and went through my trunk for something that I could use.

"Aha," I muttered, pulling an undershirt and shorts from the bottom of a pile of warm-weather clothes. I said the charm quietly, my wand hovering over each, and they became more like a bathing suit than clothes. I gathered my favorite lounging clothes after, and a few other things, and ran back downstairs, headed for the Prefect's bathroom.

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The multi-colored bubbles filled the large tub as I sat down with my head back. For a minute I laid there staring at the ceiling with my arms crossed, my fingers tapping on the skin there. Thinking that I probably wasn't doing too good of a job of relaxing, I shut my eyes and breathed in deeply.

"Relax . . . Relax . . ." I began to whisper to myself. Then, I laughed.

"What is relaxing, exactly? I don't think I've ever had to put effort into relaxing. I'm not one to get caught up in petty things . . . Why did this happen to me?" I questioned aloud. My shut eyes began to sting as the tears tried to slip out under the lids. I sniffled.

"Why was it me?" I said, my voice hardly a whisper. "Why not someone else . . . Jeanette MacDonald," I said with a spiteful laugh. "You know," I started, "if Moony wasn't so _thick_ it wouldn't have been me."

I broke down in sobs and a voice in the back of my mind (probably that Moony-conscience: it's always seeing the bright side; I hate it) cooed to me, saying that it was good to cry. Letting everything flow out, cleaning the slate. I bit back another laugh. No matter how long I soaked in the bubbly water, I would never feel clean again. I thought that feeling would have gone away after I was looking fresh and new.

I sat in the big tub, in my make-shift bathing clothes, crying to my heart's content. I damn-near screamed my heart out, too, when hands fell down on my shoulders. I thought for one horrifying second _not again, not again, please not again_. But I knew the hands. Relief washed through me and I cried harder. I don't know if it was because of the relief, or because of the terror I felt before it.

"I think you're ready, Nymph."

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I got out of the bathtub and dried off, and then changed into my comfortable clothes. I sat next to Remus at the edge of the pool-like tub, my knees tucked up; he had his feet sitting in the water for a few minutes while my crying subsided.

"I should have listened to you," I said. I wiped the back of my hand across my eyes.

"Forget about that. Tell me what happened; from the beginning." I thought about arguing that I still didn't quite want to, but I realized that I had absolutely nothing to lose, and the whole world to gain. I threw caution to the wind—something I should have really stopped doing, all things considered—and told Remus everything.

He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed, a look of understanding spreading across his features. The crying that I had done had tapered off. I wiped my eyes again.

"I'm going to kill him," he said, sounding both calm and furious at the same time. It would have scared me if I didn't know he wouldn't ever hurt _me_.

"Moony don't," I put my hand on his arm, "I don't want you to get into any trouble. Lily already had me tell Professor McGonagall; she's going to have him taken care of," I said quietly.

He was silent for a moment. "If he comes near you again, I can't promise I won't do anything," he said, and I didn't argue. "Let's go up to the Common Room, I'm sure someone wonders where we are." He took my hand and led me out into the corridor and through the school.

I never questioned how he had known where I was when I needed him.

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The day ended quite peacefully, though I figured tonight would be the last few hours of quiet for a long time. I didn't expect Moony to keep such a thing to himself, or not from Padfoot, Prongs or Wormtail, at any rate. I settled into bed and left the curtains open, looking at the dark clouds drift across the sky, covering the moon from time to time. I drifted to sleep with my heart feeling lighter than it had in a while.

If I had to name the best part of that day, it would have been right before I went up to bed, when Remus kissed me and told me he loved me.

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**Author's Note:** What? I'm updating? Holy cow, right? I think there's only going to be a chapter or two left, and I'm going to try to make them much better than this one is . . . I don't know exactly if my muse left me or if I forgot some of the stuff I originally intended to go into this one :x Anyway, I hope you liked it.


	12. Hush, Little Tonksie

A week after the ball and all occurrences related to it, Professor McGonagall summoned me to her office.

"Miss Tonks," she said as I opened the door once given permission. "Please sit."

I sat up straight in the arm chair in front of the professor's desk, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "You know why I've called you here, yes?" she questioned. I nodded. "I've spoken to Professor Dumbledore about the situation, and he's gotten back to me with a general idea of how we will go about taking care of it." She paused, glancing at a piece of parchment on her desk. "Normally, such behavior would be dealt with through the Muggle law system, because of the personal protection they ensure. However because of the extenuating circumstances— the potion used and the that incident happened here at Hogwarts, that is— Mr. Anderson will have a trial with the Wizengamot, and he will most likely be expelled as a result, not permitted to finish his education."

I thought for a minute. "Okay," I said. I took a deep breath. "That sounds good," she nodded her head.

"Enjoy the rest of your holiday, Miss Tonks. I expect that shortly after the rest of the students return, he will be on his way out." She gave me a small smile.

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"And then he's gone?" Lily said for the third time. I had relayed to her what Professor McGonagall said, and she didn't seem to understand that it would be so simple. "I would have thought it'd take weeks . . . months, even," she said in awe.

"I suppose Professor Dumbledore wants it taken care of quickly, in best interest of everyone," I said distractedly. We were sitting in a corner of the Common Room. Mid-day sunlight spilled in through the windows, and we watched as Sirius and James used all of their skill to formulate a plan for the Quidditch game that was to take place in a few weeks' time.

"It would be expected that Dumbledore would handle it quickly and quietly," she reasoned. "Any way," she continued in a whisper, "What's up with you and Remus?" Lily smirked.

I felt blood rush into my face. "Uh . . . Well, we uh . . ." I stuttered.

"Spit it out!" she laughed at how flustered I became so suddenly. "Are you two, you know, dating?"

I made a squeak-like sound and cleared my throat. "Yeah," I said; my eyes were wide, like a deer in headlights.

"Why do you look so scared, Tonks?" she chuckled. I hadn't ever acted so shy around Lily.

"I've never had a boyfriend before," I said quietly, shrugging my shoulders and looking up through the fringe I was wearing today.

"Nor have you had one four years older than you," Lily laughed. I furrowed my brow as I turned red again.

"Two and a half," I corrected. "He turns seventeen in a few months then I turn fifteen."

"It always amazes me how young you are," she marveled. It was my turn to laugh.

"You just said I'm twelve, Lily," I tapped her arm with the roll of parchment in front of me. "I'm _not_ twelve.

"Twelve, fourteen; what's the difference?" Sirius asked, turning from his conversation with James. "Besides, I'm less concerned with your age than I am with the fact that no one told me you're dating Mister Moony, Tonksie."

"Who ever said it was any of your business, Padfoot?" I turned to see the portrait hole swing shut as Remus walked into the Common Room. He walked around to where we had set ourselves up and I smiled as he stopped to place a kiss on the top of my head.

"So it's true," Sirius speculated, his eyes shifting between us in examination. "Alright, I just don't want to see you snogging my baby cousin in public, Moony."

"No need to worry about that," Remus said, sitting down across from the other boys and next to me. "I have respect for women, Sirius. Especially Nymphadora." He held my hand.

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Through the next week, students began to return to school. As I'd seen in years before, some would return to Hogsmeade with their parents, stay for a few days, then head be seen off to the castle for the last few days of the holiday.

Sitting in the Common Room one afternoon, Lily sat up from her snuggle with James and turned to Moony. "I have Head duty tonight," she said, and what I saw in her face made me feel guilty: _what should we do with Tonks,_ I read. I became very conscious of how careful Remus and Lily had been to make sure I was always with someone; I suppose they didn't want me to be alone anymore than I did. The guilt worsened when began to wonder if Sirius knew what had happened. He would blow a gasket on me for being so careless, then once he'd calmed he would be angry with himself for blaming me.

"Nymph, do you want to stay with us tonight, then? Just so you're not all alone," Moony asked me. For a second I just blinked at him, having no clue what to say to that, and then Sirius answered for me.

"She'd love to stay in the Marauder suite!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Who wouldn't, after all?" he laughed to himself.

"I'll be in your dormitory tonight then," I said with a small smile.

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Early that night, I laid on one of the couches in the Common Room. At around a quarter to eight, Sirius, James and Peter left. "Where are you going?" I had asked, not sitting up from my place with my head on Remus's lap.

"Detention," Remus answered for them with pleased expression.

"What for?" Sirius glared at Remus.

"Fireworks. According to Professor McGonagall, though, there is absolutely no way Moony could have been involved. How, you ask? Because you see, while we _know_ Moony had a hand in the shenanigans, old McGonagall insists she saw him in the same spot, at the table with Jeanette," I blinked hard; I didn't like the girl, even if I didn't have a good reason. "Before, during, and after our show. And we're just trying to use you as a scapegoat," Sirius scoffed to Remus. "What ever a scapegoat is . . !" I repressed a laugh.

"How rude of her, saying you need a goat," I teased.

"A scapegoat is—" Moony started, but I cut him off.

"I know what a scapegoat is; I was making a joke." He looked at me for a minute and smirked.

"How rude of the Professor indeed." James and Peter glared too, now, and Lily had started to giggle from where she sat.

"You boys should hurry so she doesn't give you another set of detentions," Lily said, composing herself to look flawlessly indifferent to the conversation going on. Sirius muttered something bitter and James whispered to Lily, kissed her on the cheek, and then there were three.

"I think I'll finish some of my homework," she said, retrieving her school bag from a table on the far side of the Common Room and pulling out parchment, textbooks, quills and ink. As she set herself up, Remus looked at me.

"Are you okay Nymph?" he asked, resting a hand in my teal hair. I was staring at him, wide-eyed.

"I'm perfect," I said, thinking I must have been blushing for how Remus saw me looking at him. I blinked as we watched each other and he gave a chuckle.

"I know what you _are_, I was asking how you feel," he said with a little smirk and I smiled, laughing. After a moment I yawned.

"You should close your eyes. I can't promise you'll sleep well tonight," he said, sounding half-amused. I nodded and watched while he produced a thick novel from no-where, I thought at first, and then figured he must have left quite a few books around the Common Room since the start of the holiday.

I closed my eyes and listened to the various noises in the room. The crackling of the fire was the steady background of it all. Lily's quill scratched, and clinked into the ink well at regular intervals. Remus's breathing was what I paid attention to while I drifted off, counting the number of page turns instead of counting sheep.

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Waking up confused seemed to be becoming a habit. I couldn't place where I was at first, so I laid still and listened.

"It isn't very pleasant to hear," Lily was saying. I remembered I had been in the Common Room with her and Remus when I had fallen asleep; he was still there as well.

"Does she even know about it?" Remus asked her, sounding somewhere between worried and upset.

"I don't think; she's never mentioned it. But I don't know how she could not notice it," she said. "It almost gives _me_ nightmares, it's really that horrible."

At once I figured they must have must talking about me and what had happened in the past week. I chided myself for being oblivious (and for listening to one of their conversations again—I felt like I was becoming a sneak). For not the first time, I was sorry that I had gone to Lily first. I had given her such an unnecessary problem to top off every responsibility and duty she was to handle. In retrospect I supposed I could have easily handled the situation properly myself—but there was the bottom-line reason why I had told Lily, after all; she was my best friend, and I couldn't bear to keep something that made me feel so horrible to myself, so I had gone to her. But, I reasoned, I could have done a number of things first—I could have gone to Professor Sprout, my own House Head.

"If I notice anything I'll tell her. And Padfoot will have to get in the loop, as well. He should know already anyway," Remus said. I chose then to turn myself, hoping to make them believe I was waking up and not just eaves dropping.

"They'll be back soon, their two hours are almost up," Lily said loudly when I started to move. I opened my eyes slowly and saw her staring back, looking as innocent as always. "Good morning, Tonks," she snickered.

"I think 'good evening' fits better," Remus said, suppressing a laugh. "Are you rejoining the world of the living, Nymph?"

"I wasn't out _that_ long," I said. "Quit ganging up on me!" I joked along. I was highly amused by the raucous laughter that followed my statement upon noticing that it was Messrs Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.

"Back from the dungeons?" Lily teased, jumping up to greet James, who kept pulling a hand through his messy hair. Sirius was picking at his robes and Peter repeatedly brushed off his sleeves. I wondered what McGonagall had made them do for detention this time.

"I would have preferred the dungeons," James answered. "The _trophy_ room, polishing _everything_, for _two hours_."

"Do you have any idea what some of those trophies are capable of?" Peter said to the room at large. "I don't _want_ to be rewarded for good behavior if that's what I'd get."

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Later that night I settled into my makeshift bed in the middle of the boys' dormitory. There was an unoccupied fifth bed in the room, but it was used throughout the year by Frank Longbottom. I had only met him once or twice when he spoke to Lily, but I felt it would be strange to sleep in that bed.

"That looks very Muggle-ish," Sirius commented. "Typically the inside would be much larger than it appears." The bed sheet levitating above my little sleeping area made somewhat of a tent, hardly covering my bed.

"If this was supposed to be a tent I daresay the user would be exposed to the elements and left to die," I said curtly before giggling. "It's not a very impressive tent," I added, smirking at my creation.

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I woke in the middle of the night being smacked repeatedly in the head. "Come on Tonks, cut it out! Wake up," Sirius was saying loudly. I jolted upright.

"What did I do?" I asked groggily.

"You were shouting," Sirius said, "screaming bloody murder is probably a more accurate term. When did you start having such bad nightmares?"

"Was I saying anything?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Typical 'no, stop, don't' and all that murder-victim stuff. Do you know why—" Sirius cut himself off. My sleeve had fallen, showing my forearm and the yellowing bruises there. "What happened?" He asked, all intentions of light-heartedness vanished.

In the dim lighting of Sirius's wand on the dormitory floor, I felt like a little kid again. My mind flooded with memories of crying to Sirius when something didn't seem fair to me, and as I started to grow up, about how the world didn't seem fair at all.

"Anderson," I choked, tears springing to my eyes.

Sirius looked at me blankly for a minute and I could see the gears turning in his head. I could almost trace his thoughts. Anderson—seventh year Hufflepuff, Sirius had played against him in Quidditch many times over the years. But what did he have to do with Sirius's baby cousin, I could _hear_ him thinking.

I continued to sob, pulling my knees into my chest. At once Sirius seemed to form a conclusion in his head, but he would not be sharing, it appeared. He wrapped a long arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.

We sat for a long while like that, me crying and burying my head against Sirius while he murmured comforting albeit violent words.

"I'm not sure," Sirius spoke full-voiced at last, "I don't know if I should take care of that snake myself, or if I should ask Andromeda to give me a hand," he cracked the knuckles on one hand, the other arm still hugging me to him.

"No, Sirius, my mum wouldn't let me out of her sight if she hears through _owl_ what happened . . . I have to tell her next holiday," I added. "And McGonagall is already on it, as is Dumbledore. It's taken care of, Lily saw to it."

Sirius gave me a look: _but you still don't feel safe,_ it said. I shook my head and put my face back down, fresh tears beginning to run.

"I'm going to make you a promise, Nymphadora," he said, and he didn't speak again until I nodded my head to continue. "I promise you that I will never let anything like that happen again. Whether I'm right here or not after this year ends, I'll protect you. I promise," he finished, his voice hoarse.

"Sirius?" I started timidly. He took his turn to nod to me. "You're my best friend, you know?" Sirius gave a short, quiet chuckle.

"And you're mine, Tonksie. How are you doing now?" I swallowed hard.

"Better," I answered. "Much better."

"Alright, let's get back to sleep now. I want you to remember, Tonks: you're safe. You don't have to be afraid anymore. And don't let the nightmares get you," he placed a caring kiss on the top of my head and stood. "Goodnight, Tonks."

"'Night, Sirius," I whispered.

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The day that the Hogwarts Express arrived in Hogsmeade the castle became a sudden shell of energy. The quiet of the holiday was almost over and soon we would be back to lessons and homework and crowded corridors.

I spent the last few hours of peace wandering the halls with Remus and Sirius. Peter had met up with Olivia after lunch and Lily and James supposedly had homework—I didn't believe her; not a single word. She didn't deny fibbing.

As we made our way up the Charms corridor I stopped short. Moony and Padfoot continued to walk several steps before seeing that I had come to a halt. Inquiring as to why I had, they followed my deadpan stare.

Anthony Anderson was speaking to professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Sprout, and by the look of it he wasn't getting much pleasure from the conversation. We watched for a moment and I could feel the tension coming from both Remus and Sirius. Soon, though, squat professor Sprout took the boy by the forearm and led him away.

I let out a shaky breath and saw Remus and Sirius relax. "So . . . That's it. It's over," I said.

"It's over," Remus repeated, wrapping an arm around my waist and drawing me closer.

From then, life moved on.

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**Author's Note**: Holy. Crap. I finished. I don't know what to say (but I made a list of things to mention:p). Here we go, according to my list:

-The title of this story is very typical, and quite boring. I frankly don't understand how such a bland title and such an originally horrid summary managed to draw in so many wonderful readers!

-This story has taken so incredibly long. When I started, I had just turned 13 and I was in eighth grade. Now, I'm fifteen (as of yesterday) and a sophomore in high school. It's been just a month and a half or so under two years since I started this.

-Now, reviews. The number of reviews itself it earth-shattering, but the legitimate feedback that so many of you gave me makes my heart melt. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, put this on alert or on their favorites, and to every single person who took the time to read this; especially those who have been putting up with my updating problem from the start.

This is amazing. I feel like I just closed a book I was reading, but instead, I was the one writing. Is this the feeling we're looking forward to as aspiring authors? :)

_xo ilovemoony73_


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